The Lost Prince
by xXJennJennXx
Summary: Final part of the "Broken Queen/Hero King" trilogy. Marceline's child has been kidnapped by his biological father, Ash, and she, along with Finn and their friends, set out to find him. Their plans are disrupted, however, when they learn that Ash's intentions may be more sinister than they ever thought possible.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the last story in a trilogy that began with "The Broken Queen", and continued with "The Hero King". To know what's going on here, you should read those first!**

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Marceline Abadeer stood on top of a pile of ashes and crumbled masonry that once made up her kingdom. The Vampire Queen had been sifting through the rubble for the past hour, looking for anything that survived the fire set by the Wizard soldiers, but she hadn't had any luck. A bright summer sun shown down on her, and its subtle burn, through her layers of protective clothing and her trusty wide-brimmed sunhat, invigorated the queen and made her feel hopeful.

Hope had been a foreign emotion to the queen in the week and a half since the birth of her son, Liam, and his kidnapping by his biological father, Ash. Marceline had spent the time in a small medical tent, recovering from the birth and her subsequent emergency hysterectomy, and wondering if she would ever see her child again. Now, surrounded by her friends on the ruins of what used to be her home, Marceline thought in terms of when she would see him, not if.

"Look, Marcy!" Simon yelled. "I think I found something!"

Marceline, despite Princess Bubblegum's multiple warnings to take it easy, jogged over to where Simon was excitedly digging through the rubble. Finn joined him, and together they unearthed Marceline's most prized possession, her axe bass. Simon held it up to the queen triumphantly, and smiled.

"You'll have to clean it up a bit, and restring it, but other than that it looks okay."

Marceline smiled and trailed her fingers down the neck of the guitar, its familiar weight comforting in her hands.

"We should probably head back to camp, Marcy," Finn said. "I don't think we're going to find anything else."

"Yeah, you're right," Marceline said, stroking her bass. "I thought this would be gone for sure."

Finn wrapped his mechanical arm around Marceline's waist and, along with Simon, they walked back to their modest camp in a clearing in the Vampire Kingdom's forest. Lady Rainicorn, who was helping Jake do his daily leg exercises, waved warmly.

"Princess Bubblegum! Marceline's back!" Lady called, using her new universal translator invented by the princess.

Princess Bubblegum emerged from her tent, a book in one hand and her large, round glasses perched on the top of her head. She was smiling brightly, and the trio who had just arrived back at camp knew that she must have good news.

"Oh, you found your instrument!" She exclaimed. "How wonderful!"  
"What's going on, Bonnie?" Marceline asked. "You never look this happy."

"I think I know where Ash is. There have been multiple sightings of him and Liam in Shiney City. We can go whenever you're ready."

Marceline looked at Princess Bubblegum for a long time, trying to process what she had just said. Without warning, she ran to the princess and enveloped her in a tight hug. Princess Bubblegum was surprised at first, but she soon realized that Marceline was crying, and she wrapped her arms around her and rubbed her back.

"Thank you so much," Marceline whispered when she finally pulled away from the princess. "I'm going to get my Liam back, aren't I?"

"Of course you are, Marmalade," Princess Bubblegum whispered. "I'll make sure of it."

"How soon can we leave?" Finn asked, joining his wife.

"It'll take us about half an hour to pack up camp, and we can travel on the Morrow. We can be in Shiney City in, oh, about two hours."

"Radical!" Finn exclaimed. He turned to Marceline. "Do you need us to stop by your house on the way? For clothes and junk?"

"Nah," Marceline replied. "I don't think I want anything in that house. It'd be nice to start fresh, you know?"

Finn nodded. He kissed Marceline's forehead, and floated off to their tent to pack. Marceline watched him go, smiling brightly. Although Finn had quickly mastered his Vampire powers, he was still the same loving, eternally optimistic person he had always been. She stared until he disappeared into the tent, then went to help Princess Bubblegum pack up their makeshift base of operations.

As Princess Bubblegum had promised, the small group set out to Shiney City right on schedule. Jake, Lady, Simon, and the princess rode on the Morrow along with all the luggage. Finn flew next to his friends, with Marceline in his arms. She clung to him tightly, still too weak to fly on her own.

"This is amazing!" Finn yelled, somersaulting in the air.

"It won't be when I puke on you," Marceline replied.

"Sorry, Marcy," Finn apologized, hugging the Vampire closer to his chest.

Marceline rested her head on Finn's chest and closed her eyes. She felt safe in her husband's muscular, warm arms, and she allowed herself to imagine a reunion with her son. She felt that they were finally close to him, and she was sure that she would be seeing him again before nightfall. Sometime during her daydream, Marceline fell asleep.

When she awoke, the sun was setting and they were descending towards Shiney City's entrance gate. Princess Bubblegum lead the Morrow away from the main gate, and into the bordering forest. Finn followed, and they landed together in a small clearing hidden from the main road.

"Wake up, Marcy. We're here," Finn said.

"I'm awake. You can put me down now."

Finn gently placed Marceline on her feet and waited for their friends to climb off the Morrow.

"So, what's the plan, Peebles?" Finn asked.

"We're going to the Briar Inn. It's the last place Ash was spotted, and if we have any luck, he's still there," the princess replied.

"I know the place," Marceline said. "I played at the bar next door a couple times. It's pretty… sleazy."

"The whole town is sleazy, if I recall correctly," Simon said.

"Well, hopefully we won't be there long," Princess Bubblegum said. "Let's go."

The small group made their way back to the main road, and through the entrance gates. They were instantly assaulted by the acrid stench of smoke, and the princess stopped abruptly.

"Look," she ordered, pointing in the distance.

The group followed her gaze and they saw the ruins of what had once been Shiney City's marketplace. It was now reduced to smoldering rubble, at the center of which rested a large crater. They stared for a long while, before Simon spoke.

"C'mon," he said. "Where's the Briar Inn?"

Princess Bubblegum shook her head as if to clear it and pulled a map out of her backpack. She studied it for a moment, and handed it to Marceline.

"You know the area, right?"

"Yeah, I know it," Marceline replied, handing the map back. "The inn's not too far up this way."

The group, now led by Marceline, walked down the street, taking in the sights and sounds that Shiney City offered. Main Street was flanked on both sides by bars, liquor stores, and pawn shops. Finn found himself staring at a group of women standing outside of a small, ramshackle building.

"Hey little boy," one of them called. "Come on inside."

Finn turned around, stared straight ahead, and his face turned a shade of red Marceline would have thought impossible. She looked back towards the women and hissed, baring her fangs. Finn giggled and took her hand.

A few moments later, Marceline stopped in front of an old, two-story building with a faded sign out front, declaring it the Briar Inn.

"This is it," she said.

Finn squeezed Marceline's hand and looked expectantly towards Princess Bubblegum.

"What now?" He asked.

"We go in," the princess replied. "I'll talk to the desk clerk and see if he's still there. Then we'll go from there."

Princess Bubblegum stepped to the front of the group and straightened her spine. She took a deep breath and opened the door to the front office. Marceline, Finn, Simon, Lady, and Jake followed close behind, their group filling the entire room. The princess marched to the desk and slammed her hand on the counter, jolting the clerk from his doze.

"You lookin' for a room, sweet cheeks?" He asked.

"No," Princess Bubblegum replied. "We're looking for a Wizard by the name of Ash Aldrich."

The clerk snorted, then stared at the princess, realizing that she was serious.

"Have you been under a rock all day?" He asked, lighting a cigar. "Everybody's looking for that bastard."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Marceline asked, stepping up to the desk.

"You mean you really don't know? He blew up the marketplace. Took off with 'at kid of his this morning and next I heard, he was all over the news."

Marceline's face fell, and her whole body seemed to be drained of energy. She collapsed into a tattered armchair in the office's corner, and Finn knelt down beside her, holding both her hands in his.

"He's gone," she whispered. "I thought for sure I'd see my baby again…but he's gone."

"Oh, Marcy," Finn whispered. "At least we know Liam's safe."

"Liam?" Asked the clerk, as he leaned over the desk. "Is that what you call the kid he had with him?"

"That's my son's name," Marceline said. "Why? What was Ash calling him?"

"Somethin' with an 'h'. Hudson or somethin' like that."

"Hunson?"

"Yeah, that was it!"

Marceline turned to Princess Bubblegum.

"Why would Ash have named the baby after my father?" She asked.

"I don't know, Marceline," the princess replied. "But Ash isn't here, and it's late. Would you like to stay in the city overnight?"

"I guess that's the only choice we have," Marceline said, standing up from the chair. She turned to the clerk. "No offense, buddy, but is there another hotel in the city?"

"What, the Briar ain't good enough for you, princess?"

"Queen, actually," Marceline said. "Sweet cheeks over there's the princess."

The clerk's eyes grew wide

"I know you…you're Marceline Abadeer. And she's Betty Bubblegum! I apologize, your majesties, please allow me to-"

"Are there any other hotels in the area?" Princess Bubblegum interrupted, not bothering to correct his mistake.

"No, your highness. I can call you a cab; have them take you somewhere-"

"That won't necessary," the princess said. "Just rent us, oh, four rooms, and we will be out of your way."

Princess Bubblegum slid her credit card across the counter, and the clerk hurried to run it and give them their keys. He pointed them to their rooms, only a few doors down from the office, and told them that if they needed anything, he would be happy to get it for them.

"We need to discuss our next move," Princess Bubblegum said. "Why don't we all meet in Finn and Marceline's room?"

The group agreed and they all filed into one of the rooms. It was sparsely furnished, with only a small bed, a mirror, an old television, and a card table with mismatched chairs. Yet it was cleaner than they had expected, and that was all that mattered to Marceline. She flopped down and the bed, and was soon joined by Finn and Simon. Jake and Lady sat down in the folding chairs, and Princess Bubblegum, as always when she was formulating a plan, stood. She paced back and forth for a moment, then stopped and looked at her friends.

"This changes everything," she said. "Ash is a wanted man now, not just by us, but I'd say that half of Ooo is looking for him right now. Someone's going to find him, and Liam, soon."

"So, what do we do for tonight?" Lady asked.

"I was thinking that we need to go out and arm ourselves. Going in like we did today, without any plan or way to defend ourselves, was pretty stupid. I think we need to go find someone who deals in weapons and buy everything we might need. Does that sound okay?"

"I thought you didn't like using violence, Bonnibel," Marceline said.

"I don't," Princess Bubblegum relied. "Unless I'm using it to protect people that I love. You feel up to coming with us?"

"Nah, I think I'll hang out here," Marceline said, lying back on the bed. "There's too many faces I might recognize out there for me to be comfortable."

"Suit yourself. Finn, can you please go fetch our bags from the Morrow?"

"Sure, Peebles," Finn said.

The young hero kissed Marceline gently on her nose, and flew off in the direction of the city gates.

"I'm going to step around back for some air," Marceline said, grabbing her small messenger bag.

"I'll go with you," Simon said, reluctant to let Marceline go anywhere alone.

Marceline nodded and left Jake, Lady, and Princess Bubblegum to discuss the specifics of what they needed from the city. They had only been gone a few minutes when Finn came back to the room, his arms loaded with bags.

"Where do you want these?" He asked.

"Oh, just put them down there, please. We can take them to our rooms when we get back," Princess Bubblegum replied. "Will someone go tell Simon that we're ready to leave?"

"I'll go," Jake volunteered.

When Jake walked around the corner, he saw that Marceline and Simon had gone down to the dirty, green river running behind the motel. Instinct made him stop and wait, and he sensed that Marceline was asking Simon to do something for her. He strained to hear their voices, but they were speaking in low tones, and the wind was blowing in the wrong direction for Jake to be able to hear. He settled instead for watching them from the shadows, hoping that they didn't see him.

Marceline, a lit cigarette in one hand, her wallet in the other, was looking up at Simon, her head tilted and her lips pooched out in what was almost a childish pout. Simon was shaking his head, and Jake was almost sure that he could make out the words "absolutely not". Marceline clasped her hands together, and she was talking, although her lips were moving too rapidly for Jake to read them. Simon threw his hands in the air in exasperation and shook his head.

"I'll get it, but you have to be careful!" Simon said.

Marceline threw her arms around the older man, taking a drag from her cigarette and blowing the smoke away from his face. She saw Jake in the distance, and her eyes momentarily narrowed, but she forced herself to smile and wave at the dog. She slipped some money out of wallet, discreetly handed it to Simon, and jogged towards Jake.

"You guys ready to head out?" She asked.

"Yeah," Jake said, pretending that he hadn't seen their conversation. "Peebles wanted me to come get you guys."

Together, the three walked to the front of the motel, where Princess Bubblegum, Finn, and Lady were waiting.

"Okay," Princess Bubblegum said, "we're going out for weapons. Guns, knives, anything that can help us take Ash down. And get Liam back," she added quickly. "Finn, I would appreciate it if you stayed with Marceline."

"Okay," Finn agreed, wrapping his arm around Marceline's waist. "Be careful out there, guys."

"Of course," Princess Bubblegum said.

Marceline and Finn watched as their friends set off towards the back alleys and heavily guarded basement shops that catered to the needs of assassins, murderers, and thieves from all over Ooo. Once the group turned the corner, the couple went back into the motel room, and Marceline flopped onto the bed. Finn went into the small bathroom and when he came back out, Marceline was wearing nothing but a small black thong.

"Oh, sorry, Marcy," he said. "I didn't mean to walk in on you."

Marceline smiled and grabbed Finn's hand.

"You're my husband, silly. Come on, lay down with me."

"O-okay," Finn stuttered, his face bright red.

Marceline pulled the hero onto the bed, and he took his shoes off and settled in next to her. The queen rolled over so that she was facing away from Finn, and guided his hand so that it was resting above her belly button. She snuggled up to him, and as she tried to get as close as possible, her body rubbed against his. A light moan escaped Finn's lips, and Marceline felt his hand tremble against her stomach. She realized what she was doing to him, and she gently pulled away and wrapped a blanket around her.

"I'm sorry, Finn," she said. "I'm just…I'm not ready for that. Please don't be mad at me, I just can't…I'm sorry."

"No, Marcy, don't be sorry. You didn't do anything. I'm going to go shower, if that's okay with you. Why don't you take a quick nap and then we'll order takeout or something."

"Okay, Finn," Marceline said. "I really didn't mean to do…that. I'm sorry that I don't want to…you know."

"Hey," Finn said, cupping Marceline's face in his hands, "you didn't do anything wrong. You don't owe me anything, especially sex, okay? And, well, it makes me feel like a bad guy when you apologize to me like that."

Marceline nodded. She hovered just above the bed on her knees, and hugged her husband. She felt the bulge in his jeans rub against her bare stomach, and she pulled back.

"Sorry," she said again. "I mean…Go shower. I'll be here."

Finn nodded, kissed Marceline's forehead, and went to the small bathroom. Marceline unzipped her bag and pulled out a pair of new shorts and one of Finn's old t-shirts. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about what had happened. She loved Finn, and she shared his desire for a physical relationship, but she just wasn't ready. Although her body healed rapidly now that she was at a proper weight, she was still sore from both the birth and the surgery. More so than that, however, Marceline simply didn't feel emotionally ready to have sex with Finn. The fear she had felt with Ash has somewhat lessened, but it hadn't gone away completely, and the queen still found herself cringing away from Finn, a dim part of her mind sure that he would hurt her just like most of the other men in her life had.

Marceline cocooned herself in the blanket and closed her eyes. She was just drifting off to sleep when she heard the shower shut off and the bathroom door open. Finn stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist, and found a pair of shorts in his bag. He slipped them on, threw the towel back into the bathroom, and climbed onto the bed next to Marceline. The queen scooted over to him and rested her head on his damp chest. Her hand found its way to Finn's shoulder-length hair, and toyed with it absentmindedly.

Both Marceline and Finn were floating on the edge of sleep when someone pounded at their door. Finn jumped up, retrieving his sword from where he had left it on the bedside table.

"Yo man, it's us!" Jake called through the close door. "Let us in! You have to check this stuff out."

Finn put down his sword and opened the door.

"What did you find?" He asked, stepping aside to let Jake and Simon, who were carrying wooden crates, into the room.

"See for yourself," Princess Bubblegum replied, kneeling down in front of one of the crates.

Finn used his mechanical arm to pry the lid off the crate, and Princess Bubblegum reached inside and brought out six small bundles, wrapped in newspaper. She unwrapped one, and triumphantly held up a small, black pistol.

"It's amazing what you can get in this city when you flash your crown around!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed. "There's ammunition in the bottom, and there are Demon bone daggers in the other one."

"Demon bone?" Marceline asked, sitting up in bed. "What Demons are you planning on slaying, Bonnibel?"

"Ash, possibly," Princess Bubblegum replied. "I mean, none of us really know what he is now, do we?"

"I guess not," Marceline said uncertainly. She paused for a long while, biting her bottom lip, before speaking again. "Just, as long as Liam doesn't get hurt."

"He won't," Princess Bubblegum promised, patting Marceline's hand. "Liam is our top priority."

Marceline nodded and lay back on the bed.

"I don't mean to be rude, but can you guys clear out? I'm kinda tired."

"Of course," the princess said. "There were some sightings of Ash and Liam three towns over, in the Rock Village, but they think he's moved on by now. I thought we could go ask around, see if anyone knows anything about it. Is that okay with everyone?"

The group agreed, and they planned to wake a bit after sunrise so that they could start out on their latest journey. Simon made sure he was the last to leave, and he slipped a brown paper bag into Marceline's messenger bag when Finn wasn't looking. Marceline leaned up from her pillow and hugged the older man, wrapping both arms around his neck like she did as a child.

"Be careful with that, okay?" He whispered.

"I will. I just need something to take the edges off the world, you know?"

"You better make it last," Simon warned. "I'm not getting you anymore."

Marceline nodded. When Finn walked out of the bathroom, Simon told the couple to have a good night, and went to his room. Finn cuddled up to Marceline, and was fast asleep within minutes. The queen, however, was restless, and after a long time of staring at the cobwebbed ceiling, she untangled herself from Finn's arms, took her messenger bag, and went into the bathroom.

Marceline closed the door, turned on the overhead fan, and sat down on the edge of the bathtub. She opened her messenger bag and pulled out the bag that Simon had given her earlier. She opened it and smiled. Inside were several syringes, a spoon, a lighter, and, at the bottom, a small bag of powdered heroin, light brown in color. The queen put a small bit of the powder on the spoon, and held the lighter underneath it. Before long, the powder had melting into liquid, and Marceline filled the syringe with it.

The Vampire expertly found a good vein in the bend of her elbow, and injected the liquid. A near-immediate rush surged through her body, and she closed her eyes. An indescribable sense of euphoria filled her body. Her skin began to feel somewhat tingly and warm, and her mouth was dry. As always with this drug, Marceline began to crave warm blood, straight from the source, and her fangs extended to their fullest, but the urge faded as soon as the initial rush passed. When she felt that she was able, Marceline packed her small kit, put it in the bottom of her bag, and stumbled back to bed.

She climbed in next to Finn, and his arms automatically wrapped around her slender waist and pulled her close. She didn't tense as she normally did when Finn touched her unexpectedly; she was too relaxed for that. Marceline leaned back against Finn's chest, and he mumbled something unintelligible in her ear. She smiled.

"Love you too, Finn," she said, already nodding off to sleep.

Marceline rolled over so that she was facing Finn, and buried her face in his chest, her hands toying with his hair. She slept peacefully throughout the night for the first time in weeks.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading! As I am in the process of moving, my updates may be a bit slower than usual, but they'll come! Please review to tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Marceline stood in front of the large, stone gates that marked the entrance to the Rock Village, her face set in a tight frown. She ran her hand along where the two sides met, and Finn gently took it and held it in his own.

"It'll be okay, Marcy," he whispered.

They were waiting for the guards to confirm their identities and let them into the city. Marceline had woken up with a headache, and a nagging sense that noting was right, both of which made her short trip to the village a stressful experience. Normally, flying with Finn was somewhat relaxing, but today was different. She decided that it was probably an after effect of the high she had achieved the night before, and she considered injecting just enough heroin to get through the next few hours, but she decided against it; she doubted that she could get Simon to buy more, and she didn't know when she would feel up to scoring for herself.

"You're in," a guard said, pulling a lever from inside his booth.

The gates opened, and the small group made their way into the village. They knew that Ash had moved on the night before, but they were hoping to talk to the villagers and find out if he had mentioned where he was going next.

"Where do we start?" Lady asked.

"I thought we would start with breakfast," Princess Bubblegum replied. "According to the listings online, there is only one diner in the whole town, and I'm guessing that Ash stopped there last night. Besides, how long has it been since you ate, Marceline?"

"I don't remember," the queen admitted.

Finn placed his arms around his wife's shoulders and drew her close to him. Together, they followed the princess towards the diner. When they went inside, they were met with the pleasant smells of frying bacon and the comforting noises of a restaurant during peak hours. A waitress seated them and took their drink orders.

"I'm going to the restroom," Princess Bubblegum said.

"Me too," Lady Rainicorn replied.

"Me three," Finn said. "Well, not with you guys, but…"

"And I need a smoke," Simon said, retrieving his cigarettes from his coat pocket. "You want one, Marcy?"

"Nah, I'm good."

The queen was left alone at the table with Jake. She considered trying to make small talk, but one look at the dog told her that he wouldn't be interested. They sat in silence, Marceline playing with her straw wrapper, Jake stirring his coffee. He took a sip, and looked up at the queen.

"So, what did Simon bring you last night?"

"Nothing, why?" Marceline lied.

"I saw you talking, and you gave him money. What did you send him after, Marceline? And why couldn't you have sent Finn?"

"You need to back off, Jake," Marceline warned, lowering her voice.

"Not until I find out what you're up to," Jake replied. "Finn's my brother, and I'm not going to let you ruin his life."

"Why did you even come to help if you hate me so much?" Marceline asked, clenching her fists.

"I came because, no matter how stupid it is, Finn thinks of your bastard as his son, and I'm not going to let him get hurt," Jake was angry, practically spitting the words at the Vampire. "I'm not here for you, and I never was. I'm here for Finn."

Marceline wanted to be angry, but she felt tears spring into her eyes instead. She slumped down in her chair and struggled not to cry. She jumped when she felt Finn's strong hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Marcy? What's going on here?" He asked.

"Nothing," Marceline said, struggling to smile.

Finn sat down and, although he didn't believe his wife, he let the subject go. Simon, Princess Bubblegum, and Lady came back to the table, and their food arrived not long after. Once they were finished, they asked around to see if anyone had talked to Ash the night before. A few had, but they couldn't offer any new information. Marceline began to feel hopeless, and she excused herself to the restroom before they left the diner.

Once she had locked herself inside, Marceline sat her messenger bag on the sink and pulled out the brown paper bag. Leaning against the wall, she went through her routine, one she had become quite familiar with while living with Ash. Once the drug began to course through her veins, she felt much better than she had before. As soon as she was strong enough to push herself away from the wall and stand without its support, Marceline left the restroom and joined her friends where they were waiting for her outside the diner. She was feeling a bit drowsy, but that was an improvement over the hurt and emptiness she had been so determined to chase away.

The group spent the rest of the day wandering around the Rock Village, talking to everyone who may have seen Ash and Liam. According to the shopkeepers they talked to, he had visited the grocery store, where he bought instant formula, and the pharmacy, where he had picked up diapers and a book on infant care. That made Marceline feel a bit better, as she knew that Ash was at least making an effort to care for Liam, but she was still scared.

The heroin had done its job in calming the Vampire, but it had the unfortunate side effect of making her very tired. She had nodded off while sitting down twice, and Finn was worried.

"Princess," he said, "Marcy's tired and we've talked to everyone. Can we find somewhere to stay for the night?"

"Of course," Princess Bubblegum replied. "There are no hotels, but we can camp on the edge of the forest. I'd like to examine you when we get there, Marceline. You've not looked well today."

"I'm fine," Marceline said, more sharply than she intended. "I just had a rough night last night. I'll be okay once I get some sleep."

"Well, if you're sure…" Princess Bubblegum said.

Although the princess was suspicious, she decided not to pursue it any further. She led the group out of the village and to the forest until they found a nice, flat clearing to make their camp. They were set up within minutes, and Simon, Jake and Finn busied themselves by making a fire while Lady and Princess Bubblegum checked the headlines for any sightings of Ash. Marceline disappeared into the tent she shared with Finn, taking her messenger bag, and asked not to be disturbed. Finn wanted to go with her, but he decided that it would be best to give her some space, so he stayed outside and tried to relax.

Lady cooked dinner, spaghetti, over the fire, and Simon spread out a picnic blanket so that they could sit down together. When everything was almost ready, Finn went to wake Marceline and ask her to join them. When he pulled back the tent flaps and stepped inside, he didn't immediately notice that anything was wrong. When he called Marceline's name and she didn't respond, however, he felt an icy fear clutch his heart.

"Marcy?" He said, almost whispering. He forced himself to speak a bit louder. "Marceline? Time to wake up."

Marceline didn't move, and Finn rushed over to her. Kneeling, Finn shook his wife gently while whispering her name. He rolled her over onto her back, and screamed for Princess Bubblegum. The queen's eyes were rolled back in her head, a needle hung out of the bend of her arm, and vomit trailed down the front of her shirt.

"What's wrong?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

Finn was unable to answer. As soon as the princess saw Marceline lying on the ground, she knelt down beside her, called for Lady, and pushed Finn away so that she could work.

"Is everything-Oh Glob!" Lady exclaimed, seeing Marceline. "What do I do?"

"Take this and dispose of it, then bring me my medical bag. And hurry," Princess Bubblegum ordered.

She slipped the needle out of Marceline's arm and handed it to Lady. The Rainicorn flew out of the tent and towards Princess Bubblegum's things, while the princess made sure that Marceline's airway was clear. By tilting the queen's head and lifting her chin, Princess Bubblegum insured that she wouldn't choke on her own vomit. With this done, the princess took Marceline's vital signs and discovered that her heart and breathing had slowed down dramatically.

"Lady, I need that kit!" She screamed, pushing up her sleeves.

Lady rushed into the tent and handed Marceline her bag. Finn watched as Princess Bubblegum unzipped it roughly and started throwing out everything she didn't need. He began to panic when he realized that the princess, normally so strong and in control, was scared.

"What's wrong with her, Peebles?" He asked, sounding more like a child than a man.

"Finn, I'm going to need you to fly to the pharmacy in the village. Break in if you have to."

"What do I get?"

Princess Bubblegum took the pencil she kept behind her ear and scribbled the name of the medicine she needed on the package of bandages: Naloxone. Finn stared at the name for a few seconds, then looked up at the princess.

"I don't know what this is," he said, crying.

"It doesn't matter just ask the pharmacist, read the labels, I don't care! Just go!"

Princess Bubblegum started chest compressions and rescue breathing on the queen while Finn ran out of the tent and flew off in the direction on the village. Jake had calmly taken the spaghetti off the fire and was now waiting for someone to tell him what exactly was going on. He knew from the sound of Princess Bubblegum's voice that she shouldn't be disturbed right now, so he chose to stay out of her way.

Simon, who had pieced together what was happening, was sitting on a fallen tree, his head in his hands. He cursed himself over and over for buying drugs for Marceline, but he could understand the need to slip into a different, more peaceful world, and he had a hard time saying no to her. He was shocked from his thoughts when he felt a rush of air and heard a dull thud as Finn landed on the ground next to him. The hero took off in a sprint towards Marceline's tent, a bag from the Rock Village pharmacy in his hand.

Finn ripped the bag in two and held a vial of Naloxone out to Princess Bubblegum. She stopped the chest compressions and rescue breathing and took the vial. She drew the medicine up in a syringe from her bag and jerked Marceline's pants down so that she could inject it in her upper thigh. Nearly immediately, the Vampire's breathing and pulsed returned to normal. Princess Bubblegum capped the syringe and laid it to the side. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and began to cry. Finn had never seen her like this before, and it scared him. He realized just how bad the situation was, and he crawled over to Marceline and held her in his arms tightly. He jumped when he felt Princess Bubblegum embrace them, but he relaxed into her arms and they cried together, both holding onto Marceline as if they were afraid she was going to slip away. Lady watched, slightly bewildered, for a moment before hurriedly packing the medical bag back up and going to tell Jake and Simon what happened.

When Princess Bubblegum couldn't cry anymore, she gently broke her embrace and stood up. Wiping her face with one hand, she held the other out to Finn and helped him up. Wordlessly, the princess gathered Marceline's spoon, lighter, and extra syringes and put them back in the brown paper bag.

"Stay with Marceline," she ordered.

She took the bag of heroin and marched out of the tent.

Princess Bubblegum stood in front of Simon, her hands on her hips. The older man looked up at her, and she could see that he'd been crying. That didn't keep the princess from being furious, however, and she struggled to speak without yelling.

"Did you buy this for her?" She asked, holding up the bag.

"Yes," Simon admitted.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Princess Bubblegum screamed.

"I don't know!" He replied. "She was begging me, and she just lost her child, and she…She promised that she'd be careful!"

"Be careful?" The princess stepped forward, and Simon stood up. "In the past few months she's been beaten half to death, tried to kill herself, and her son has been kidnapped. Do you really expect her to be careful with heroin?"

"I don't know what I was thinking, Princess! It won't happen again!"

"If it does, I'll have you locked up," Princess Bubblegum said, turning around and walking back towards Finn and Marceline's tent.

"I'm sorry," Simon said, so low that she almost didn't hear, sitting back down on the fallen tree.

The princess spun around on her heel, her fists clenched.

"You can apologize to me," she said, her voice eerily calm, "but could you apologize to Finn if she had died?"

As the day began to turn dark, Jake realized that Finn still hadn't come out of the tent. Worried that he might be hungry, he put some spaghetti on a plate and took it into their tent. He started to speak, but stopped when he saw Finn, his eyes swollen and red, murmuring softly in Marceline's ear, telling her how much he loved her. Jake felt anger rise up in him, and he walked over to Finn and placed his hand on the younger boy's shoulders.

"Hey bro," he said. "How's she?"

"Peebles says she's going to be fine. I just don't understand why she'd want to do this to herself."

"I don't understand either," Jake replied. "Hey, you've been doing this quite a bit lately, haven't you? Sitting around holding her hand because she did something stupid to herself?"

"What're you getting at, Jake?" Finn asked, turning around to face the dog.

"I'm just saying that maybe it's time to…I don't know, man. Cut your losses and move on."

"You want me to abandon my wife because she's sick?"

"Sick! Good Glob, Finn, she brought this on herself! You deserve so much better than her!" Jake screamed.

"Why do you hate her so much?" Finn asked. "You liked her when she was just hanging out as a friend, now she's my wife and you can't stand it!"

"I don't want her hurting you, Finn! Besides," Jake lowered his voice, "you don't know everything about Marceline."

"What exactly don't I know, then?" Finn asked.

"I bet you don't know about that whole village she wiped out when she first became the Vampire Queen, did you?" Jake retorted.

"A whole village?" Finn asked, his voice small. "I'm sure she was just trying to feed her people; I mean, that was before she knew that they could eat the color red and…Yeah, that had to be it."

"There were reports of her taking babies out of their mother's arms and sucking their blood right there," Jake said, leaning close to Finn. "Do you really want to find Liam now that you know that?"

Finn was silent for a long while.

"Where'd you hear all this, anyway?"

"Lady Rainicorn's parents remember it. They showed me newspapers, buddy. I promise, I'm just trying to watch out for you."

"It must be a mistake," Finn said, shaking his head. "It has to be. Marceline would have told me."

"Did she tell you what happened with Princess Bubblegum the night before you got married?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No," Finn said, crossing his arms in front of him. "What are you talking about?"

"I overheard them talking at the reception. Apparently, Peebles and Marceline got drunk and got to tier 15 the day before she married you."

Jake watched as Finn went through a series of emotions that made him regret ever telling his brother about what he had heard. He was shocked at first, then a bit angry, but the look of hurt on his face was most prominent

"Really, Finn, I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt by her. I just don't want to see-"

"Leave," Finn said, his voice made thick by the tears running down his face.

Jake started to protest, but Finn repeated his command, this time with more force. The dog backed out of the tent, but not before glancing back and seeing that Finn was holding Marceline's hand against his forehead, while he sobbed, his shoulders heaving. He stayed that way for a long time before gently placing Marceline's hand back on her sleeping bag and kissing her on the cheek. The stubble on his chin rubbed against her face, and her eyes fluttered open.

"Finn?" She asked, sitting up.

"Oh, Marcy, thank Glob. You overdosed on heroin."

"I know," Marceline whispered, turning her head away.

"Princess Bubblegum is worried," Finn said, taking the queen's hand and tracing lines down her fingers. "So am I."

"I wasn't trying to hurt myself. I just used too much this time."

They were silent for a few moments, Finn's fingers still tracing patterns on Marceline's arms. They both waned to speak, but neither could find the right words to say. It was Finn who finally broke the silence.

"Jake told me that you and Princess Bubblegum…that you…is it true?"

Marceline sighed and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah, it's true," she admitted. "But it was a mistake, Finn, and we both realize that. It's over now, and it will never happen again."

Finn nodded, and wiped his eyes

"Jake also told me about you wiping out a whole village when you were younger. Is that true too?"

"Where did he hear about that?" Marceline asked. When Finn didn't reply, she sat up on her sleeping bag and took both of Finn's hands. "Yes, I did attack that village, but no one ever tells the part about them being self-styled Vampire hunters. They thought we were an affront to Grob Gob Glob Grod, so they tried to kill us all. They'd already murdered five Vampires, and injured I don't know how many, when we attacked. The way it was reported, though, made us seem like the bad guys. It always happens that way."

Finn considered this, then nodded slowly. He leaned forward and kissed Marceline's cheek. She smiled, and for a brief moment Finn was reminded of the woman he had fallen in love with.

"Do you hate me, Finn?" She asked. "For everything that happened? Everything I've put you through?"

Finn wrapped his arms around the queen, pulling her tightly into his chest. He stroked her hair and shook his head.

"No way, Marcy," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. "I could never hate you."

Marceline nodded and clutched the back of Finn's t-shirt like a child clinging to their parent.

"Thank you. I love you, hero."

"I love you too, Marcy. No more drugs, okay? Promise?"

"I promise."

Before long, Finn was snoring. Marceline pressed her body as close to his as she could, and listened to the sounds of the forest around them. The glow of the full moon shone through the tent, and Marceline wondered where Liam was sleeping. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and the queen buried her face in Finn's chest, trying to block out the world.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I really appreciate all the reviews! They motivate me so much, so keep them coming!**


	3. Chapter 3

Marceline sat on a fallen log, her axe bass resting on a blanket in front of her. She had spent the morning restringing it, and was excited to play again. Gently, Marceline picked up the instrument and cradled it in her arms. Its familiar weight reassured her, and the queen tentatively tested the strings. Finn, who was chopping wood for the fire at the edge of the campsite, looked over at her and a smile spread across his face.

It had been a week since Marceline overdosed on heroin outside the Rock Village. The day after she had collapsed and everyone had learned of her addiction to the drug, Princess Bubblegum had taken her, along with the rest of their group, to a nice hotel in a nearby settlement owned by Rainicorns. There, she had kept Marceline in a room, without access to any drugs, and allowed her to go through withdrawal as comfortably as she could. Marceline had initially been upset because she felt that they were losing time by not going after Ash immediately, but Princess Bubblegum had refused to go any further until Marceline was sober.

When the queen finally agreed, Princess Bubblegum had stocked the hotel room with bottled water and plenty of towels, and tried her best to prepare Finn and Marceline for what would happen. Nothing, however, could have prepared the Vampire or her husband for the fever, chills, shaking, and vomiting that she suffered through for the better part of five days. She didn't sleep during the majority of that time, nor did Finn.

Late in the night on the second day, as Marceline sat with her head resting on the cold porcelain of the bathtub after an hour long session of near constant vomiting, she had admitted to Finn that she had been using either cocaine or heroin almost every day for the better part of a year.

"Even after you found out about Liam?" He asked tentatively, from his spot just outside the open bathroom door.

Marceline nodded, too afraid of Finn's reaction to speak. The hero was quiet for a long while, and Marceline braced herself for him to yell at her, or even hit her. In her haze, she had almost forgotten who she was talking to, and past experience told her to prepare for the worst. She had been surprised when, rather than reacting violently, Finn had wrapped her in his arms and gently rocked her back and forth, while telling her that everything would be okay. He'd stroked her hair, damp from sweat, and tried his best to make her feel safe.

Finn stayed by Marceline's side, never leaving the hotel room until the fourth day, when Simon had come in to check on them and found the hero asleep at the small table, a burnt microwave dinner pushed to the side untouched. Simon had taken Finn, despite his feeble protests, to his room across the hall and ordered him to lie down. Simon had went back to stay with Marceline, and he had held her hand as she drifted in and out of fever dreams that sometimes made her cry out in fear. When her fever had finally broken around four a.m. the next morning, Simon had never felt so relieved his life.

Now, Marceline's health was improving every day. She still complained about cravings, but she hadn't given into them, nor did she plan to. As Finn watched her strum her guitar, he caught a glimpse of the Marceline he remembered, and he grinned. He propped his axe on the tree stump he was using to chop wood, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She looked up at him, smiling, and he planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Play something for us, Marcy," he said, his breath on her ear.

Marceline nodded and strummed a few notes before beginning to sing.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

Marceline's voice faltered on the last line, and she looked up at Finn with tears in her eyes. He took her hand, calloused from years of playing the bass, and kissed her fingertips.

"We're going to find him, Marcy," he said. "I promise."

Finn leaned down and kissed Marceline gently, placing his hand on the back of her neck. When he pulled away, Marceline's eyes still shone bright with tears, but she was smiling.

"I know that if anyone can find him it'll be you, hero," Marceline whispered, stroking Finn's cheek.

He took her hand and held it, staring into her eyes.

"I will. We both will."

Marceline nodded and they held each other's gaze until they were interrupted by the sound of Princess Bubblegum's holo-phone ringing.

"Call from: Jake Junior," the phone said in its monotone voice.

Jake Junior had temporarily taken over as the ruler of the Candy Kingdom in Princess Bubblegum's absence. She had taken a job working for the princess four years ago, and quickly became one of the most trusted people in the kingdom.

"Hello, Jake Junior. How is the kingdom?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"We're okay," Jake Junior said, "but we just received word of an explosion at the Ooo Math and Science Convention. It was Ash."

Marceline put her bass down and ran to the holo-phone, closely followed by Finn, Jake, Lady, and Simon.

"How bad was it, baby girl?" Jake asked.

"Bad," Jake Junior replied. "I sent Doctor Doughnut, along with a few nurses, but to be honest, I don't think there were enough survivors to need them. There were over 200 fatalities."

"Oh, Glob," Princess Bubblegum whispered, her hand over her mouth. "I go to that convention every year. I knew everyone…I…Glob."

"Do you think Ash thought you were there, Princess?" Jake Junior asked.

"I don't think so," she replied. "I'm not sure, but I think I know what he's up to, and if I'm right, he's not looking for any specific targets."

"What do you think he's doing?"

"I'm not sure yet," Princess Bubblegum replied. "But as soon as I know more, I'll call you, okay?"

"Sure thing, Peebles. Love you, Mom, Dad. Over and out."

There was a silence in the camp, only broken by the pops and cracks of the fire. Finally, Marceline asked the question everyone was thinking.

"What's he doing, Bonnie?"

"Like I said, I'm not sure," Princess Bubblegum replied. "I could be wrong."

"You're never wrong, Bonnie," Marceline said, staring at the ground. "What's he doing?"

Princess Bubblegum sighed and sat down on a fallen log, patting the space next to her.

"Sit down, Marcy. You too, Finn. Everyone. This may be a little…hard to hear."

Marceline sat down next to the Princess and was joined by Finn, who took her hand. Jake, Lady, and Simon sat on another fallen log across the fire.

"There's an ancient magic ritual that's rumored to make anyone who completes it a god," Princess Bubblegum began. "A few people have tried; of course no one's succeeded. Even talking about it in Wizard City is illegal, and punishable by jail time. The reason I think that's what Ash is doing is because the ritual calls for the Wizard to spill the blood of one thousand, and to make one personal sacrifice."

"Personal sacrifice?" Marceline asked, biting her lip.

"Yes," Princess Bubblegum replied. "Typically, someone very close to the Wizard performing the ritual. A good friend, a spouse…a child."

"What?" Marceline screamed. "He's going to sacrifice Liam, and you didn't bother to tell me?"

"I'm not sure that is his intention, Marceline. Please calm down."

"Calm down? How the fuck can I calm down? Ash has my baby and he's going to kill him! We have to go find him! We have to-"

Princess Bubblegum stood up and gently took Marceline by the shoulders. The queen stopped yelling, and looked at her friend, her eyes wide.

"You have to calm down, or I'll be forced to give you a sedative."

"We need to go find him, Bonnie!"

"We will find him, Marceline," Princess Bubblegum said. "But we don't have any clue as to where they could be, and going off without any plan would be ridiculous. Why don't you sit down, and I'll make you a cup of tea? How does that sound?"

"No! You're all just giving up!" Marceline started to cry, and she grabbed her messenger bag and slung it on her shoulder. "If you won't help me, I'll find him myself!"

The group watched as Marceline stomped out of the campsite and into the dark forest. Finn started to go after her, but he was stopped when Princess Bubblegum put her hand on his shoulder.

"Leave her be, Finn. She won't get far before she realizes what she's doing and comes back," the princess reassured him. "She needs some time alone to process everything."

Finn nodded reluctantly. He stared into the fire for a few moments before turning back to Princess Bubblegum, his eyes shiny with tears.

"Is it true, Peebles? Is Ash going to hurt Liam, just so he can be powerful?"

"That may be his intention, Finn, but we're going to find him before it comes to that," Princess Bubblegum replied. She patted the hero on his shoulder and smiled sadly. "You really love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Finn said, surprised. "He's my son."

Princess Bubblegum nodded and squeezed Finn's hand before going off to make herself a cup of tea. The hero sat down and put his head in his hands. Simon sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Finn looked up, tears brimming in his eyes.

"You know Marcy better than anyone. What am I doing wrong? Why can't I do anything right around her, Simon?"

"Oh breadballs, Finn, you're doing everything right," Simon said, scrubbing his cheek with his palm. "Marcy's just not in a good place at the moment. She's hurt, and she's scared, and I know she can be…frustrating sometimes, but right now, she needs you more than ever. Without you, I don't even know that she'd still be alive. You've given her so much strength through all this."

"You think so?" Finn asked.

"I know so, Finn," Simon said.

The two men sat in silence for a moment before Simon stood up and stretched.

"I think-"

He was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from the forest.

"Marceline!" Finn yelled.

He grabbed his sword, checked that his gun was holstered on his belt, and ran off in the direction of the scream. Simon, Jake, Lady, and Princess Bubblegum followed close behind them, weapons drawn. They stumbled blindly into the forest before Lady lit a torch, giving them enough light to see where they were going. It wasn't long before they stumbled into a clearing and saw three Wizards struggling to subdue Marceline. One of them had placed one meaty arm around her waist, and pressed the other into her throat. She was struggling against him, but she couldn't get away.

"Stop struggling, ya cunt," one of the other Wizards said.

He walked to Marceline and grabbed her breast, squeezing it roughly. She spit on him, and he slapped her, and the sound shocked Finn into action. The hero drew his gun and pointed it at the Wizard holding the queen.

"Let her go!" Finn growled, his voice low.

When the Wizards turned around to see who had spoken to them, Princess Bubblegum attacked one of them, placing her gun to his head. The other Wizards drew their guns, and the one holding Marceline placed it to the Vampire's head.

"Let him go, or we'll kill the bitch," he said.

"Bullshit," Princess Bubblegum replied. "You're working for Ash, and he wants Marceline alive, doesn't he?"

"We ain't working for no one!"

"Stop lying," the princess said, roughly shoving the pistol into the Wizard's head.

He was crying, tears running down his dirty face, and begging Princes Bubblegum to let him go. The Wizard holding Marceline relaxed somewhat, watching the princess intently.

"Don't hurt him!" He exclaimed.

"I won't," Princess Bubblegum replied. "If you let Marceline go."

The Wizard considered for a moment, then pushed Marceline away from him. She landed on the ground, her wrist underneath her, and she cried out in pain. She quickly stood and stumbled over to Finn, who took her in his arms. Princess Bubblegum pushed the Wizard away from her, although not before taking his gun, removing the bullets, and throwing them in opposite directions.

The head Wizard looked at the other.

"Are you okay, brother?" He asked.

He nodded and stepped behind the other Wizards, obviously afraid of Princess Bubblegum.

"You got her back this time," the head Wizard said, "but you won't be so lucky next time. That little bitch belongs to Ash, and he's going to get her back."

An indescribable rage overcame Finn, and he rushed at the men, his gun raised. He squeezed the trigger, and the unarmed Wizard fell. The hero was vaguely surprised by the recoil, but raised the weapon again, pointing it at the third man, who stared at him, his eyes wide. Before Finn could shoot, however, the head Wizard grabbed his arm and wrestled it from his hands. He quickly tackled the boy to the ground, his knee on the back of his neck, and put the gun to his head.

"Do you want to die, little boy?" He asked, hitting Finn in the head with the gun. Blood began to pour from the newly created wound, staining the hero's blond hair.

"Finn!" Jake yelled, running towards his brother.

The third Wizard raised his gun, aimed at Jake, and squeezed the trigger. While everyone else's focus was on Finn, Marceline happened to glance at the Dog, and time seemed to slow down. The Vampire ran towards Jake at a supernatural speed, and she dove in front of the bullet. Marceline fell to the ground, blood gushing from the wound on her shoulder. Simon saw her and aimed at the Wizard who shot her while he stared down at the fallen queen. The bullet was on target and he fell to the ground, a gaping wound in his chest.

The third Wizard, still pinning Finn to the ground, stared at his fallen friend. Princess Bubblegum took the opportunity to sneak behind the Wizard and hit him in the back of the head with her pistol. He didn't pass out, but he was dazed, and that gave Princess Bubblegum time to inject him with a high dose of her recently-formulated stunning mixture. Almost immediately, the man fell to the ground and rolled off of Finn, who ran to Marceline.

"Simon! Jake! Tie him up!" Princess Bubblegum ordered.

They quickly did as the princess said, using Simon's belt to tie his hands, and Jake's stretched arm around his ankles.

"Take him back to camp and get a proper rope around him," the princess said. "He should be out for approximately three hours, but be careful. I have to tend to Marceline."

"Yes, princess," Simon said, lifting the Wizard onto his shoulder and carrying him towards the campsite.

Princess Bubblegum knelt down beside Marceline and Finn. The hero was propping her up in a sitting position while applying pressure to the wound to keep it from bleeding so much. His hands and shirt were covered in her blood, and a streak of his own ran from the wound on his head down his cheek. When Princess Bubblegum touched his shoulder to get his attention, he looked up at her, his eyes wild.

"Why do I keep letting her get hurt?" Finn asked.

Princess Bubblegum sighed and shook her head.

"Not now, Finn. Can you carry her to camp?"

Finn nodded and picked up Marceline, careful to keep pressure on her injured shoulder. He ran to camp so fast that Lady and the princess had difficulty keeping up. Once they emerged from the trees and into the soft glow of the campfire, Finn had already lay Marceline on the ground, propped her head up, and found Princess Bubblegum's medical bag. He was kneeling next to her, stroking her cheek and whispering soothingly.

"I'm fine, Finn," Marceline said weakly. "As soon as Bonnie gets the bullet out, I'll heal right up, and everything will be fine."

"Finn, I'll need you to step back, please," Princess Bubblegum said.

Finn squeezed Marceline's hand and kissed her forehead before stepping back out of the princess' way. Princess Bubblegum took his place and pulled scissors from her bag. She cut Marceline's t-shirt away so that she could attend to the wound, and the queen protested, but was ignored.

"It's not too bad," Princess Bubblegum said, poking at the bullet hole with one gloved finger. "It's pretty shallow. Even so, this is going to hurt."

The princess poured a sterilizing solution over the wound, eliciting a cry of pain from the Vampire. She then sterilized a pair of tweezers, and used them to remove the bullet from the wound. Marceline writhed in pain, but tried to stay as still as she could. With the bullet successfully removed, Princess bubblegum sutured the wound and stood up.

"I would give you pain medication," she said, "but with everything you've been through, I feel that it would be best if I didn't. I'm sorry, Marceline."

"S'okay, Bonnie. Thank you."

Marceline lay back on the pillow, and sighed. Finn sat down next to her and gently pulled her towards him so that her head was resting on his lap. She looked up at him and smiled, her fangs glimmering in the light of the fire.

"Can you help me to the tent, hero?" She asked. "I can walk; I'm just a bit unsteady."

"Sure thing, Marcy," Finn said, helping the queen stand up.

He slowly guided her to her tent and helped her into the sleeping bag they shared. He kissed her lips and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm going to go talk to PB about the Wizard we captured. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"I'm over a thousand years old," Marceline replied. "I think I'll be okay."

Finn giggled and pecked the Vampire's cheek before leaving the tent. He was only gone a few minutes when Marceline heard Jake clear his throat outside the tent.

"Hey, Marceline, can I, uh, come in?" He asked nervously.

Marceline considered for a moment.

"Yes."

Jake entered, his head down. He was rubbing the back of his neck and trying, unsuccessfully, to meet Marceline's gaze.

"Look, Marceline, I just wanted to…to thank you for what you did. Saving me, I mean. That was pretty radical."

"I didn't do it for you, Jake," she said, trying to sound cruel, but sounding tired instead. "I did it for Finn."

The Dog sighed.

"I deserved that. I know I was really shitty to you and I'm sorry. I was just…I've seen Finn get hurt by girls over and over and I…I was scared, okay? I saw how in love he was with you and I kept thinking about what would happen if you broke his heart. I mean, the kid's so in love I don't know if he'd ever be the same if you left him, you know?"

"I would never hurt Finn," Marceline said. "You should know that by now."

"I do," Jake said. "And I'm so sorry…for everything. Can we go back to being friends, Marcy?"

"Maybe," Marceline replied, a mischievous smile playing across her lips.

Jake grinned at the Vampire, satisfied with her answer, and quietly left the tent. Marceline settled into the pillow, still smiling, and fell asleep.

A few hours later, Finn was putting more wood on the fire when he heard a loud moan from the tree they had tied the head Wizard to. He looked up at Princess Bubblegum, and she nodded. They had made a plan earlier in the evening, along with Simon and Jake, to question the man who had tried to kidnap Marceline. Without a word, they unholstered their weapons and surrounded the Wizard.

"What's goin' on?" The Wizard asked groggily. "The fuck are you?"

"We're Marceline Abadeer's protectors," Princess Bubblegum replied. "Where is Ash Aldrich?"

"I swore not to tell," the Wizard said. "Ash is going to be powerful soon, and when he is, he's going to make me powerful, too."

"Tell me where he is!" Princess Bubblegum ordered.

"No!"

Quickly, before the Simon, Jake, or Finn could react, Princess Bubblegum had slapped the Wizard across the face with her gun. He cried out in pain, and blood trickled from his mouth. He spat, a pool of blood and a piece of tooth landing at the princess' teeth.

"Where is he?"

"Fuck off, cunt."

Princess Bubblegum hit him with the gun again, repeating her command. This time the Wizard, whose face was already swollen and turning dark, didn't respond. He simply slumped back against the tree and raised his middle finger from under the ropes that bound him towards the princess. The three men around her watched in horror as she attacked him, hitting him with her gun and kicking his legs and groin.

"Uh, Peebles?" Finn said, stepping forward and trying to take her shoulder.

"Not now, Finn!" She said, spinning around to face him.

Finn was shocked by the wild look in the princess' eyes, and he stepped back without another word. He looked at Jake and Simon, and saw that they looked shocked, as well as a bit scared as well.

"Please stop! Please!" The Wizard begged.

"Tell me where Ash is and I will!"

"Alright! Just stop hitting me, you crazy bitch! He's in the Wizard city! At his parents' house!"

Princess Bubblegum smiled, and pointed her gun at the ground.

"Simon," she said, "please go pack up he camp. Jake, call your daughter and tell her what we've learned."

"Yes, princess," the two men chorused.

"Can I go now? Please?" The Wizard asked.

"Sure thing," Princess Bubblegum replied.

Finn drew his sword to cut the ropes that bound the Wizard to the tree, but he stopped when Princess Bubblegum raised the gun to the prisoner's head and squeezed the trigger. Blood splattered on both of them, covering the princess' pink bodysuit and splashing on Finn's face. He let out a small squeak of shock and disgust as he tried to scrub the blood away with his shirt, and Princess Bubblegum turned around.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were still here," she said, walking past Finn towards the small stream.

Finn stared after her, his face pale and his eyes wide. He had seen Princess Bubblegum behave strangely before, but never anything like this. What bothered the hero was not that she had beaten the Wizard, or even that she had killed him. What bothered him was that, when she had turned around, covered in the blood of the man she had just murdered, she had been smiling.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Any reviews and suggestions are appreciated, so don't forget to leave one!**


	4. Chapter 4

Marceline clung to Finn, holding an umbrella above their heads and watching the forest blur underneath them as they flew alongside the Morrow on the way to Wizard City.

"Are you sure we can go in? I mean, aren't they still at war with the Vampires?" Jake asked.

"Not anymore," Princess Bubblegum replied. "The Wizards declared peace after Ash blew up the marketplace. They said that they were no longer affiliated with him, and a peace treaty is in the works."

Jake nodded, and the princess guided the Morrow towards the ground, followed by Finn and Marceline, who shielded themselves with an umbrella and a sunhat, respectively. When they approached the large iron gate marking the entrance to the city, it swung back slowly. Wizard City had been opened to non-magic users two years ago in a last-ditch effort to save the town from bankruptcy, although there were still strict regulations regarding who could purchase potions and spells.

They walked through the gate and found themselves on Main Street. Marceline looked around, and raised her eyebrows at Princess Bubblegum. They had both realized that the street, normally so busy, was nearly deserted.

"What the hell is going on?" Marceline asked.

"It was Ash," a voice said from the shadows of an alley.

"Who's there?" Princess Bubblegum asked, her hand blindly searching for her gun.

"Chill out, it's just me," the voice said. There was a rustling sound, and Huntress Wizard emerged.

"Oh!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed. "Hello, Huntress Wizard. What exactly did Ash do?"

"Word is, he was staying with his mom and dad, and all of a sudden they get a call in the middle of the night. Ash answered it and ran out with the kid. Then, all these cops stormed the house, not the ones from Wizard City, the Protectors of Ooo."

Princess Bubblegum raised her eyebrows. The Protectors of Ooo were a powerful police force that had jurisdiction everywhere in Ooo. They usually left law enforcement up to the individual kingdoms, but in cases where crimes were on a large enough scale, or were committed in more than one kingdom, they took over. Usually, anyone they caught ended up dead within the week.

"They evacuated the whole house and kept everyone out in the fields half the night. Turns out, Ash had hidden four bombs while he was there. Three in the Goblins' quarters and one right under his parents' bed."

"Good Glob," Marceline sighed.

"You still chasing after that bastard?" Huntress Wizard asked. "You know he's bad for you."

"He has my son," Marceline replied.

"Your son? Didn't quite picture you as a mothering type, Marcy," she said.

Huntress Wizard took a step towards Marceline and looked up and down her body. The queen's ring glinted in the sunlight, and the Wizard raised her eyebrows.

"Or the married type…When'd that happen? Who's the lucky groom?"

"Finn and I were married less than a month ago," Marceline answered.

"That's a shame," Huntress Wizard said. "That you're taken I mean. Give me a call sometime, Marce."

The Wizard pulled Marceline close and kissed her, her tongue finding its way into the Vampire's mouth with ease. In a quick, fluid motion, she tangled her hand in Marceline's thick black hair, and just as quickly as she had moved in, she was gone. The group was silent, too shocked to speak.

"What was that?" Princess Bubblegum asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"We had a thing," Marceline explained. "No big deal. I'm sorry, Finn."

"It's okay," Finn squeaked, his face red.

"We need to split up," Princess Bubblegum said, regaining her composure. "Marceline, Simon, and Finn need to go to the Aldrich home and talk with Ash's parents; see what they know. Jake and Lady, I'm sending you to the underground magic shops to get anything you think we can use. I'll be at the library to see if I can find anything about the ritual. We can meet back up at the Shire Hotel. Is that okay with everyone?"

The group agreed, and headed in separate directions. Marceline, Finn, and Simon left the city's downtown area and headed towards the countryside and the Aldrich home. As they went further and further down the rural roads, Finn noticed that they were surrounded by huge fields of a strange plant he had never seen before. Tending to the plants were hundreds of heavily-muscled Goblin men and women, wearing tattered, old clothes.

"What is all this?" Finn asked, amazed.

"These are the Great Magic Fields, owned by the Aldrich family for over 800 years. Those plants over there? They're the source of 93% of all magic used in Ooo, and it's all of the finest quality available," Marceline smiled wryly. "I heard that little speech every time I came to visit Ash's parents. They sure are proud of their little empire."

"What's with all the Goblins?"

"They're slaves. Cassius' grandfather bought them about 500 years ago from the Goblin King…Someone named Xerigok, I think? Anyway, generations of them been working these fields ever since. He lets them live in these little shacks he built on the edge of his property, and he feeds them, but not much else."

"That's awful!" Finn exclaimed. "We have to free them!"

"Finn, were fighting a whole different battle today," Simon reminded the hero. "Maybe when this is all over, we can come back, but right now this is about Liam."

"Oh, okay," Finn said, looking down at the ground. "I guess you're right."

Before long, the trio came to a large gate, manned by a guard in a small booth. They approached the glass window, and the guard looked up from the newspaper he was reading.

"I'm Marceline Aba-"

"I know who you are," the guard interrupted. "Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich have been waiting on you. Didn't think it'd take you this long to show up. Go on in."

The guard opened the gate, and Marceline walked though, followed by Finn and Simon. The two men were gaping at the large house, and quickly fell behind. Marceline turned around and sighed.

"Come on, guys!" She called.

Finn and Simon jogged to catch up with the Vampire, still trying to take in everything around them. The path they were on led to the main house's front entrance and it was nearly a half a mile long and flanked on either side by large weeping willow trees. The house itself was impressive: three stories high, white, with a spacious columned front porch lined with rocking chairs.

"It's beautiful," Simon said.

"It is," Marceline replied, "but I sure hated coming here when I was dating Ash."

"Why?" Finn asked.

"Well, Cassius was always pretty nice to me, a bit full of himself, but nice. Portia on the other hand…she was different. She called me a slut almost the first time I met her; she didn't use that word, of course, but I knew what she meant. She refused to let me sleep in the same room as Ash, even though we had been living together for six months at that point. She said it was improper.

"She visited us when we moved to the treehouse, and it was even worse. She acted like she was afraid to touch anything, she wouldn't eat anything I cooked, and she snooped through all my stuff. The last time she visited, she found my stash. I had condoms, a half a gram of coke, handcuffs, and my bong all in one little drawer. I knew she found them when I saw her walk out of my room so red I could have eaten her. She never visited much after that."

"What's a bong?" Finn whispered to Simon, who shook his head and repressed a smile.

They continued on the path in silence, and Cassius and Portia soon stepped out the front door and stood on the top step. As they got closer, they could see that the Aldrich's were, as always, dressed nicely, with perfect hair and matching smiles plastered on their faces. Yet, the couple looked different. Their eyes were ringed dark with a lack of sleep, and Portia looked almost skeletal. Even more striking for Finn was that the confidence they had both shown so much of on the day they visited the Vampire Kingdom was now gone, replaced by a look of dull bewilderment.

There was silence for a moment when Marceline approached the porch and stopped, Finn and Simon close behind her. Then Portia cleared her throat and stepped slightly forward.

"Hello, Marceline, Finn. I don't believe I've met you, Mr.…"

"Simon."

"Hello, Simon. We've been expecting you."

"Yes," Cassius said. "Why don't you come inside?"

"This isn't some kind of trick, is it?" Marceline asked.

"Of course not, Marceline," Cassius replied. "There's no trickery here. I give you my word."

"Well, don't be offended if your word doesn't mean much to me," Marceline said, removing her gun from her holster. "I'll bring this just in case."

"Good Glob," Portia gasped. "She's crazy, Cassius!"

"Hush," Cassius said. "She has no reason to use it, so bringing it in the house won't hurt anything. Come on, now, it's too hot to stand out here all day."

"Marceline, what were you thinking, pulling a gun on them?" Simon asked, as they walked inside.

"I'm tired of being walked on, Simon," she whispered. "No one else has given me any answers, so I'm going to get some today. No matter what I have to do."

Portia and Cassius led them throughout the main hallway and to a small parlor. Cassius gestured to a couch, and Marceline, Finn, and Simon sat down. The Aldrich's sat down across from them, and a Goblin maid brought over a silver platter with tea and cookies, and placed it on the table between the two groups.

"Will that be all, Mr. Cassius?" She asked.

"For now. Thank you, Xerena."

Cassius poured tea for the guests, then a cup for himself. He busied himself stirring in cream and sugar, took a sip, and cleared his throat.

"Now, Marceline, I feel that it's best if we put everything on the table," Cassius said. "Why, exactly, are you here?"

"I know that Ash was here," Marceline replied, sipping her tea. "I want to know where Ash and Liam are now."

"Liam?" Cassius asked. "I thought his name was Hunson."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Portia said. "We don't know where they are."

"But you've seen him? The baby, I mean," Simon asked.

"Yes, we have seen him," Portia said. "Hunson is a beautiful child…Especially for a

Demon."

"His name is Liam," Marceline said through gritted teeth. "Was he okay? Was he fed? Did he have the right clothes? Did he-"

Cassius held his hand up.

"I can assure you that Hun-Liam, excuse me, was perfectly fine. He was at a healthy weight for his age, he was meeting all the markers for infant behavior, and he seemed quite happy. In fact, I took some pictures."

Cassius stood up and went to the large bookshelf near the parlor entrance. He found the book he was looking for, a leather photo album with the family name in gold on the front, and opened it to a page near the back. He slipped a few photographs out of the protective cover and handed them to Marceline.

The queen held the photographs, and tears gathered in her eyes. Finn leaned over to see, and it seemed as if his heart was going to explode with love. Liam had grown so much; although Finn had expected it, he was still a bit surprised. His hair was white, and already long. His eyes were dark, just like his mother's. He also shared the queen's skin, and pointed ears. In every photograph, he was smiling, revealing the pointed teeth he had inherited from the Demon part of his family.

"He's beautiful, Marcy," Simon said.

Marceline nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak. She hugged the photographs close to her chest, and futilely wiped at her eyes. Cassius offered her the handkerchief from his pocket, and she took it gratefully. She cried for a few moments, and Finn was struck by how vulnerable she looked. He wrapped his arm around her and scooted close. When her tears slowed, Marceline dabbed at her eyes and looked up at the Aldrich's.

"Did he…Did Ash say anything about a ritual? The forbidden ritual?"

The change in topic was abrupt, and it took Cassius and Portia by surprise. When they recovered, Portia was angry. She stood, towering over the queen.

"How dare you come into my own home and accuse my son of something so awful? He loves that child! He would never be so foolish as to sacrifice him!" She yelled.

"Now Portia," Cassius said, "calm down. Marceline wasn't accusing anyone of anything. She simply asked if he had mentioned it."

"Now you're on her side?" Portia asked, stepped away from her husband. "She's the one who caused this mess! She's the one who ruined our family name! How can you possibly take her side in this?"

Without waiting for an answer, Portia stormed off, tears causing her makeup to run down her face in streaks. The group watched her go, and Cassius looked torn between staying with his guests and going after her, but after some deliberation, he chose the former.

"Marceline, please forgive me," he said. "Portia is not reacting well to any of this, as I'm sure you can understand. Now, as for the ritual, Ash has never mentioned it to us, but that doesn't mean that it's not what he's doing. I know perfectly well that our son is not the person Portia portrays him as. I feel that he's capable of almost anything. I'm sorry I can't be of more help."

"Thank you for being honest, Mr. Aldrich," Simon said, standing up.

Cassius shook Simon's hand, and then Finn's. When he turned to Marceline, she tried to hand him back the pictures he had shown her, but he shook his head.

"Keep them, Marceline. I can order more prints later," he said. "Before you go, there's something else I'd like to give you."

Cassius reached into his pocket and brought out his checkbook and a pen. He filled out a check, tore it from the book, and handed it to Marceline. She stared at it in silence, trying to understand why Ash's father would give her half a million dollars.

"For you and Finn," Cassius explained. "Think of it as a belated wedding gift."

"I can't accept this," Marceline said.

"I insist. It'll buy a nice house, maybe a piece of land. Get you two started."

Marceline considered for a moment before tearing the check in two and handing it to Cassius.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I just can't accept it."

"I understand," Cassius said, impulsively pulling the Vampire into a hug. "You be careful, Marceline. Ash is dangerous."

"I know," Marceline replied. "We should get going now."

"Of course," Cassius said, showing the group to the door.

Marceline placed her sunhat on her head and Finn grabbed his umbrella before walking out the door and beginning on the path back towards the city. They had only been walking for a few seconds before they heard Cassius calling out to Marceline. They turned around, and saw him running towards them, the composure he normally possessed gone.

"Wait!" He yelled. "Marceline, wait!"

"What is it?" The queen asked, shocked to see tears in the old Wizard's eyes.

"I know we don't deserve it, but if you find Liam, when you find Liam, can we see him? He's our only grandchild and…I want to be there for him, you know?"

Marceline considered for a moment, and a smile spread across her face.

"That would be lovely, Cassius. I'll be in touch."

"Thank you," Cassius said. "If there's anything we can do…"

The queen nodded, and the old Wizard took her hands gently.

"Promise me," he said. "Promise that you'll make sure Ash never hurts anyone again."

"I promise," Marceline whispered.

They stared at each other for a long moment, a silent understanding passing between them. The moment was interrupted when Simon glanced at his pocket watch and realized that they were almost late to meet Princess Bubblegum, Jake, and Lady back at the city's only hotel. He cleared his throat, and Cassius let go of Marceline's hands.

"We should go, Marcy," Simon said. "The rest of the group will be waiting for us."

Marceline nodded and took Finn's hand. Along with Simon, they walked on the path leading away from the Aldrich home and back towards the Wizard City, and the Shire Hotel. When they arrived, Princess Bubblegum, Jake, and Lady were waiting outside for them.

"We already checked in," the princess said. "Let's meet in your room to discuss what we found."

"Sure," Marceline agreed.

Once they found their rooms into the labyrinth of a hotel, they ordered pizza from the restaurant down the street and settled in to discuss what they had learned.

"You guys go first," Princess Bubblegum ordered gesturing to Marceline, Finn, and Simon.

The trio shared what they had learned at the Aldrich home, omitting nothing. When they were finished, Princess Bubblegum nodded distractedly, deep in thought.

"Do you think Cassius knows more than he is telling you?" She asked.

"No," Marceline replied. "Portia maybe, but not Cassius. Should we go back?"

"No," the princess said after considering for a moment. "There's no point, really. If she wouldn't tell you knowing you had a gun, I doubt that she would tell us."

Marceline nodded.

"What about you guys?" Princess Bubblegum asked Jake and Lady. "Did you get anything good?"

"Yes!" Lady exclaimed. "We found freezing spells, a healing potion, and some stuff that temporarily blinds an attacker."

"Great," Princess Bubblegum said. "Between that and our weapons, we should be safe."

"Did you find out anything new, Peebles?" Finn asked.

"Nothing new, no," the princess replied. "But I did confirm the specifics of the ritual that I couldn't remember. Of course, no Wizards will talk about it, but the library has a room in the basement of forbidden books, and all I had to do was show my crown to get in."

"So that's what he's planning?" Marceline asked. "The ritual?"

Princess Bubblegum sighed and took Marceline's hand.

"From what I can tell, Marceline, yes."

Marceline nodded. She felt herself tear up, but she forced herself not to cry; she felt that she had done enough of that lately.

"So, where are we going next? Have there been any more sightings of Ash?" She asked.

Princess Bubblegum cast her eyes to the ground.

"Actually, Marceline…Well, Jake, Lady and I talked it over and we think it's best if…"

"We think it's best if we go back to the Candy Kingdom," Jake interrupted, taking Lady's hand.

"What?" Marceline asked. "Why?"

Jake glanced at Lady, who nodded.

"Lady is pregnant," Jake said. "We need to be home to get ready, plus, it's been pretty dangerous lately. You understand, right Marceline? We just want to protect our babies."

"Yeah," Marceline said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Yeah, I understand. What about you, Bonnie? You're not going home too…Are you?"

"I have to go back to the castle. My people need me, and Jake Junior can't run it forever. Please don't be upset, Marceline," the princess said, taking the Vampire's hands in her own.

Marceline pulled away, and she looked at Simon, tears streaming down her face.

"What about you?" She asked. "Are you giving up too?"

"Marcy, you know I'll look as long as you want me to. I'm not going anywhere," he said, hugging the queen.

When Simon released her, Marceline took Finn's hand and looked up at him.

"Looks like it's just the three of us, hero," Marceline said.

"No, Marcy," Finn replied. The Vampire's face fell, and Finn saw an unimaginable hurt in her eyes. "It's just that, well, we don't have any leads, and I think it would be better if we went back to the treehouse. Just until we have a clue about where Ash and Liam are, okay?"

"No!" Marceline cried, standing up and pushing Finn away from her. "That's not okay! You're abandoning him! We can't do that, Finn! He's my son!"

Finn stood up to face Marceline and tried to hug her, but she pushed him away. He stumbled backwards, and bit his lip.

"You know I'm not giving up, Marceline," he said, trying to stay calm. "You know I don't do that. Please don't be upset. I'm just doing what's best for us."

"Screw you! You don't know what's best for me! I can't just sit at that globdamned treehouse while that bastard has Liam!"

Marceline grabbed her wallet and started towards the door. Finn grabbed her wrist, and gently pulled her into him. He tried to wrap her in a hug, but she pushed him away again, and he hit his head on the wall behind him. A green mist seemed to cloud his vision, and he bared his teeth. Marceline stared at him, her heart gripped in an icy fear. She had sensed a change come over him, and she couldn't move.

"Don't you ever put your hands on me again, you cunt," Finn growled, his voice much deeper than normal.

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

Finn shot forward from where he was standing and punched Marceline. She fell to the ground and backed herself into a corner, a defense mechanism left over from her time with Ash. Finn started to advance towards her, and Simon tackled him to the ground. His head hit the floor, and the green mist cleared, leaving him confused.

"Marcy?" He asked, looking around the room.

Princess Bubblegum and Lady had surrounded the queen protectively, and the princess was whispering to her gently, trying to comfort her. Marceline had covered her nose with her hands, and blood was pouring from between her fingers and staining her t-shirt.

"C'mon, Marmalade," Princess Bubblegum whispered, gently taking the queen's wrists. "Let's see."

She guided Marceline's hands away from her nose and cringed.

"Good Glob, it's broken. Lady, can you get me a towel?"

Lady nodded and went to the bathroom. She came back holding a plush white towel that she handed to the princess.

"Blow you nose," Princess Bubblegum ordered. "It's going to hurt, but you have to."

Marceline nodded complacently and followed the queen's instructions. The towel immediately soaked through with blood, and Princess Bubblegum cringed.

"This is going to hurt, love," she whispered. "Just stay still, okay?"

Marceline nodded. Princess Bubblegum made a triangle with her hands and placed the tip at the top of Marceline's nose, gently brought her palms together, and pulled downward in a quick, fluid motion. Marceline whimpered in pain, and the princess noticed that her eyes were already turning black.

"Come on, Marceline," she whispered. "You can stay with me tonight, okay?"

Marceline nodded. As they went out the door, she turned back to see Finn sitting on the edge of their bed, his head in his hands. Simon was sitting beside him, watching him intently. The queen started to apologize, to beg Finn to forgive her for making him angry, but Princess Bubblegum guided her out the door and down the hall to her room.

Jake and Lady left to go to their own room, but Simon stayed behind. Finn looked up at the older man, his eyes red and swollen from crying.

"I don't know why I did that, Simon," Finn cried. "I don't understand. I love Marcy. You believe me, right?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore, Finn," Simon said. "You promised her that you'd never be like Ash, and look where we are now."

"I didn't mean to!" Finn cried, punching his pillow. "I felt like…like something possessed me! I don't understand!"

A look of worry crossed Simon's face, and he nodded.

"I don't understand it either," Simon replied. "But I do understand, and I hope you do to, that Marceline has been through too much. If I ever so much as see you think about raising a hand to her, I will make sure you never see her again. Got that, Finn?"

Finn nodded.

"If I ever thought I was going to hurt her again, I would go on my own. How can I live with myself knowing that I hurt her?"

Simon considered for a moment.

"You really didn't mean to, did you?" He asked.

"No, I didn't, I promise. I love Marcy," Finn replied.

Simon nodded, and put his hand on Finn's shoulder.

"Give her some space for tonight, then," the older man said. "She may be ready to be around you in the morning, and then again she might not. Give her the time that she needs. Goodnight, Finn."

"Goodnight, Simon."

In Princess Bubblegum's room, Marceline sat on the edge of the tub. The princess knelt down in front of her, a warm wash cloth in her hands.

"Come on, Marmalade, let's get this shirt off," Princess Bubblegum whispered.

She gently pulled the shirt over Marceline's head, and away from the queen's long hair. When she saw that her bra was also soaked in blood, she reached behind the Vampire and unclasped it. Princess Bubblegum expected her to protest, but Marceline was staring mutely up at the ceiling, allowing her to do what she wanted. The princess carefully wiped the blood from Marceline's chest, and her hand brushed against her breast.

"Sorry, Marmalade," she said.

The queen gave no indication that she heard, so Princess Bubblegum continued to wash away the blood from her chest, and then her face. When she was finished, she found a pink pajama shirt in her bag and slipped it over Marceline's head. She then took her hand and led her to the bed. Marceline climbed under the blankets, and Princess Bubblegum tucked her in. She sat down in the recliner and pulled a blanket over her, but Marceline made a whimper of protest.

"Hold me," Marceline whispered.

Princess Bubblegum nodded and climbed into the bed next to her friend. The Vampire wrapped her arms around her tightly and buried her face between her breasts. She began to sob, and the princess rubbed her back in small circles.

"He hit me," Marceline whispered, so low that it was almost inaudible.

"I know he did, Marmalade," Princess Bubblegum whispered. "I know."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I wish I did, but I just don't."

Marceline nodded.

"I'm scared."

"You're safe, Marceline," Princess Bubblegum whispered. "I promise."

Marceline cried against the princess' chest late into the night. It was only when the queen had drifted off into an uneasy sleep that Princess Bubblegum rested her cheek against her raven hair, and allowed a few tears to escape from her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review, you guys inspire me so much!**


	5. Chapter 5

Marceline and Princess Bubblegum were awoken from an uneasy sleep by the ring of the princess' holophone.

"Call from: Jake Junior. Call from: Jake Junior."

"Hello?" Princess Bubblegum asked groggily, sitting up in bed.

"Hello, Princess," Jake Junior said. "Is…is that Marceline?"

"It's a long story," the princess replied. "What's up?"

"The Gumball Guardians awoke. They say that the kingdom is in danger. I think that it's Ash. I think we may be his next target. Can you guys come home?" Jake Junior paused and looked away from the screen. "I'm scared."

"Of course. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Thanks, Peebles. See you soon."

Princess Bubblegum turned the holophone off and rolled over to face Marceline. She started to wake her up, but the Vampire looked so peaceful that she hesitated for a moment. As she was watching her, Marceline's eyes fluttered open, and she looked confused for a moment. Slowly, realization dawned on her face and she wrapped her arms around the princes gently, and held her close.

"We're going back to the Candy Kingdom," Princess Bubblegum explained. "Jake Junior thinks Ash might be heading that way. I'm going to wake the others. Would you like me to tell Finn to go on his own?"

"No," Marceline said. "I want to see him."

Princess Bubblegum nodded and kissed the queen on the top of head, then went to wake the rest of the group. When she came back, Marceline had packed and was sitting on the bed waiting for her.

"I brought you a shirt," Princess Bubblegum said, tossing it to the queen.

"Thanks."

"I told Finn that you wanted to see him. He asked you to meet him in the stairwell when you get dressed."

Marceline nodded, slipped the shirt over her head, and hugged the princess from behind. Before Princess Bubblegum could react, Marceline had walked out the door to meet Finn. She found him in the stairwell, leaning against the wall, tears running down his face.

"Finn?" She asked.

"Oh, Marceline," he whispered.

When he stepped towards the queen, she took a step backwards, fear in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Marcy," he whispered. "I know I don't deserve it, but please forgive me. I...I need you. Please."

Marceline stepped forward hesitantly and wrapped Finn into a hug. He pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest and began to sob.

"I'm the one that should be sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I pushed you. I'm sorry I made you hit me."

Finn reluctantly pulled away from the queen and gently took both of her hands in his. He looked down at her, cringing when he saw bruises on her eyes, and kissed her forehead.

"It was not your fault in any way, Marcy. I fucked up, not you. And it will never, ever happen again, okay?"

"Okay," Marceline replied, snuggling closer to the hero. "C'mon, I bet they're waiting for us."

The journey from Wizard City to the Candy Kingdom only took about fifteen minutes, and when they arrived, Princess Bubblegum decided that, since they had no concrete information about Ash, that everyone should go to their separate homes for the time being. As Marceline was unloading her bags from the Morrow, Princess Bubblegum pulled Finn to the side.

"Look Finn, Simon told me what you said last night, and I think I may have some answers for you. Do you think that you can come to the lab sometime later today? I'd like to run some tests."

"Sure thing, Peebles. I'll be there."

Marceline and Finn started towards the tree house, but the hero stopped in the middle of the forest.

"Hey Marcy, there's something I've been wanting to do…Would you mind going to visit Susan with me?"

"Sounds great," Marceline replied.

They walked in silence, holding hands, until Finn found the entrance to the tunnels that led to Beautopia. Rather than going through the normal obstacles, Finn picked Marceline up and flew straight through to the small apartment Susan now lived in. He gently placed her on the floor and rang the bell.

"One second!" Susan called.

Susan's English had greatly improved over the years, and she was no longer afraid of things in the surface world. Even so, she preferred to stay in her apartment in Beautopia, with the other fish people.

"Finn the Human!" Susan exclaimed. "Come in. I make dinner! Who your friend?"

"Susan, this is Marceline," Finn said. "My wife."

"Wife?" Susan asked.

Finn nodded, and Susan gave Marceline a hug so tight that the Vampire's feet lifted off the ground. When she placed her back on the ground, Marceline's messenger bag fell to the ground and spilled. Susan dropped to her knees and was helping Marceline scoop up her belongs when she found the snapshots of Liam that Cassius had given her.

"Who that?" Susan asked, pointing to one of the photos.

"That's my son, Liam," Marceline replied.

"Where he at now?"

"I-I don't know," the queen said. "His father took him. We're trying to find him right now."

"Oh," Susan said. "I had baby once. I lost him, too."

Finn froze, cleared his throat, and took Marceline's hand.

"Actually Susan, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I…I'm your son. I was the baby you left in the forest 18 years ago."

Susan tilted her head and stared at Finn.

"You too big, silly. You not baby."

"I grew up," Finn said. "I am…never mind. I guess I was wrong."

Marceline looked at Finn curiously and he simply shook his head.

"Silly, silly, Finn. Who wants food?"

"That would be great, Susan. Thanks." Finn said.

An hour later, Finn and Marceline left Susan's apartment and went to the tree house. Once they were away from Beautopia and back in the forest, Marceline turned to Finn and kissed him on the cheek.

"You did the right thing, hero," she said.

"I hope so," Finn said.

When they opened the door to the tree house, Finn and Marceline were nearly knocked down when BMO crashed into their legs and hugged them.

"Marceline and Finn are back!" He exclaimed.

"How are you doing, BMO?" Marceline asked, scooping up the little robot in her arms.

"I am fine. Do you want to play video games?"

"Not right now," Marceline replied. "The first thing I want to do is change, and maybe take a nap. Sound good to you, hero?"

"Sure."

Marceline pulled Finn to his bedroom, and he found a clean t-shirt and jeans to change into. He went into the bathroom, and left Marceline to change in his room. When he came back however, the Vampire was lying on the bed nude.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized, turning around. "PB wanted me to come to her lab and do some tests. Do you mind if I go now? When I get home I'll cook dinner and we can watch a movie or-"

"Or you could stay with me," Marceline interrupted from the bed seductively.

She floated over to the hero, took his hand, and gently guided him to the bed. She lay on her back, and pulled Finn down on top of her. She smiled, revealing her fangs, when she felt the bulge in Finn's jeans pushing insistently against her thigh. Finn floated up and landed on the floor, making Marceline sit up and stare at him, alarmed.

"Just have to get these pants off," he panted, fumbling with the button of his jeans.

Marceline smiled and floated towards Finn. She gently removed his hands and unbuttoned his jeans. With an excruciating slowness, she pulled them down from his hips while he removed his t-shirt. She nudged his ankles and he rose each foot, allowing her to remove the pants and toss them behind her. She traced her fingers up to the waistband of his underwear, and they quickly went the way of his pants. He let out a quiet moan, and Marceline took his length in her hands, gently stroking up and down his shaft in slow, fluid movements.

When she stopped, Finn opened his eyes and looked down at her in surprise. Without a word, she took his hand and sat him down on the edge of the bed, where she kneeled before him. Finn looked at her questioningly. With a mischievous smile, she took him completely in her mouth. He moaned, vaguely wondered how her mouth could possibly be so hot, and his fingers gently twisted themselves in Marceline's hair. Her long tongue curled around his shaft and danced around in a way that sent waves of pleasure up and down his spine. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, Marceline's pulled herself away.

Finn looked up and saw the queen lying on the bed, her legs spread. He floated to her, straddled her, and positioned himself at her entrance. Just as he moved to thrust forward, Marceline stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"What's wrong?" He panted.

"I want you to hurt me," Marceline whispered, pulling the hero into a tight embrace. "Fuck me hard…Make me bleed…Please Finn. I need it."

Finn started to roll over, but Marceline clutched him tighter to her.

"Please," she whispered.

He felt wetness on his chest, and realized that Marceline was crying.

"Please," she repeated, lightly running her nails down his back.

"Are you sure?" Finn whispered.

Marceline nodded.

"Okay."

Finn spread her legs with his knee and repositioned himself. She moaned as she felt him rub against her lips, and sighed when he thrust into her. He wasn't gentle, and Marceline cried out against his shoulder. Without warning, he picked her up, never breaking contact, and roughly pushed her against the wall. His lips crashed into hers, and she moaned. Finn placed his mechanical hand on her breast, the other over her mouth, and continued to pound into her as hard as he could. He allowed one finger to slip into her mouth, and she sucked it, nibbling and moaning as his thrusts pushed her body into the wall.

"Is this what you wanted?" Finn growled in Marceline's ear.

She nodded, and Finn pinched her nipple between his cold, steel fingers.

"Answer me!"

"Yes!" Marceline cried. "Oh, glob, yes."

Finn thrust deep into the queen, and she drug her fingernails down his back, scratching an "M" on his tanned skin. Her orgasm was stronger than she had ever experienced, and when Finn felt her tighten around him, he exploded, filling her with warmth. Marceline looked up at him, her face shiny with sweat and the tears rolling down her cheeks, to see that Finn was crying too. He shakily picked her up and they collapsed on the bed in each other's arms.

"Thank you, hero," Marceline whispered when she caught her breath.

"That was…mathematical," Finn panted. "I mean, really."

Marceline giggled and laid her head on his chest, twirling his hair between her fingers. Their first time had been desperate, primal even, but Marceline couldn't have been more satisfied. Her whole body was relaxed for the first time since she'd gotten off the heroin, and her mind no longer ran wild with thoughts of Ash and Liam. For once, she was alone, both physically and spiritually, with her husband. She stretched, catlike, and realized that Finn was already snoring lightly. She smiled, snuggled closer, and closed her eyes.

Marceline wasn't sure how much time had passed when she awoke; she only knew that it was dark, and that her cell phone was ringing. She slipped out of Finn's embrace and stood, feeling a wetness snake down her thigh. Marceline rummaged around in her messenger bag until she found her phone, and pressed a button to answer the call.

"Hello?" She said, her voice still thick from sleep.

"It's Princess Bubblegum," said the voice on the other end of the line. "I just got some information about Ash. I need you and Finn come to the edge of the Candy Kingdom forest right away. Please hurry."

"We'll be right there, Bonnie," Marceline said. "Are you…are you crying?"

"No, I'm fine," Princess Bubblegum said. "Just come right away."

"Sure thing, we'll-" Marceline was interrupted when Princess Bubblegum disconnected the call.

Puzzled, but hopeful, the queen threw her phone back into her bag, woke Finn, and told him about the princess' request. She quickly cleaned herself up and dressed. They left the tree house hand-in-hand, and arrived at the edge of the Candy Kingdom forest only a few minutes later.

"Bonnie acted like she'd be here," Marceline said, seeing no sign of the princess. "Hope everything's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine," Finn replied, placing his hands on Marceline's hips and gently backing her into a tree.

"What's this, hero?" Marceline asked, surprised at his sudden display of affection.

"I love you, Marcy," he replied, kissing the tip of her nose.

The queen winced in pain, and Finn pulled back.

"I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"It's fine," Marceline assured him.

"No it's not," Finn whispered, his callused finger tracing the dark bruises around her eyes. "I can't believe I did this to you."

"Hush, Finn," Marceline ordered. "It's over, and I don't want to talk about it any-"

Marceline's eyes grew wide, and she screamed. Finn turned around to see what was wrong, but a blunt, cold object crashed into his forehead, and his world turned dark.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about such a short chapter! The next one will be much longer! Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Dawn broke in the sky above Ooo, but the Candy Castle was already bustling with activity. Flame Guards, along with a few soldiers who had splintered away from the main Wizard Kingdom to follow Ash, patrolled the castle. The make-shift army had attacked late the night before and easily taken control of the Candy People and their princess. They, along with Finn, Jake, Simon, and Lady, had been locked in the dungeon.

When Marceline awoke, her head was pounding and it took a considerable effort to open her eyes. When she finally managed, she looked around the room in confusion. She knew she was sitting in Princess Bubblegum's throne room, but she couldn't remember why. Panic began to set in, and the queen forced herself to think about the last thing she remembered. When the memory of the forest, seeing the Wizard Guards behind Finn, and hearing his pained scream as they captured him, set in, Marceline found herself unable to breathe. She tried to stand up, but she realized that she was chained to the throne by her ankles.

"Help!" She screamed. "Finn! Someone! Help!"

Marceline tried to transform herself into a monster so that she could escape, but was instantly met with a short, but incredibly painful, shock. She cried out in surprise and pain as tears began to roll down her face. Her sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps, and hope began to surge in her chest, but was crushed when the door swung open and a Wizard guard burst through the door.

"I see you're awake," the guard said. "Ash will be pleased. I see you've noticed the little collar we've put on you. It keeps you from using any supernatural powers."

"Please," Marceline cried, launching herself to the ground at the guard's feet. "Please let me go. Ash has my baby. I need to find him."

"Little Hunson is in the next room," the guard replied, kicking Marceline away. "I have instructions to let you see him if that's what you want."

"Yes!" Marceline exclaimed. "Please…Please let me see my son."

Without a word, the guard strolled out of the room and the door slammed shut behind him. Marceline, not without some effort, picked herself up and sat back down on the throne. When the door swung open, she started to stand, but remembered that her ankles were bound and fell back into the throne.

The guard wordlessly held a small bundle out to the queen, and she took it, her hands shaking. The guard turned to walk away, and Marceline looked down at Liam. He was asleep, his long, dark eyelashes standing out starkly against his pale, unmarred skin. The queen gently pulled the blanket back, freeing his arm, and she kissed the palm of his hand as tears streamed down her face. His eyes fluttered open, and he began to cry.

"Hush, my love," Marceline whispered, rocking him back and forth against her chest. "I'm your mommy. I know you haven't seen me in a long time, but I'm here now, and I'll never let you go again, okay?"

When Liam's cries only intensified, Marceline began to hum, then sing.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my-"

"Hello, Mar-Mar."

Marceline's head snapped up, and she held Liam tighter. Ash stood at the throne room entrance, leaning against the door, his arms crossed on his chest. He was smirking, the same smirk Marceline associated with painful slaps and harsh words.

"Stay away from us! Haven't you done enough?" Marceline cried.

Ash ignored her outburst. He strolled to the throne, making the queen shrink back into the plush seat in fear, and touched her face. Although he was gentle, Marceline flinched and placed her hand on the back of Liam's head protectively.

"I've missed you so much," he said, titling her chin up with his hand.

Ash leaned down and kissed Marceline, running his hand through her hair, touching the place where the collar clasped on the back of her neck.

"I can take this thing off, babe."

"Really?" Marceline asked hopefully.

"Sure. Just as soon as I sacrifice this little bastard at sundown, I'll be strong enough that I can take away your powers, and we can get rid of this collar. Won't that be nice?"

"You're not going to hurt him!" Marceline said, clinging to Liam.

"I wish you hadn't gotten attached, Marceline. I warned you. But you know what? It's all going to be okay." Ash took Liam from Marceline's arms and the baby started wailing. "We can have another. Once the ritual is complete, you can have anything you want."

"You will not hurt Liam!" Marceline cried.

"His name is Hunson, Mar-Mar," Ash said slowly, as if Marceline couldn't understand. "Besides, I'm not hurting him; I'm using him for a purpose greater than either of us can imagine."

"Why did you name him after my father?" Marceline asked, clenching her fists so hard that her fingernails left tiny, crescent-shaped cuts on her palms.

"Because without your father, none of this would be possible. He helped me discover my true potential. He's the one who told me about the ritual to begin with."

"What?" Marceline whispered.

"He told me that I was possessed by the Lich, and that he'd noticed it when saw me in the cabin. I guess it happened when Peppermint Butler and I summoned him to help us take over the Vampire Kingdom. Anyway, as soon as I found out about this little guy, the Lich kept telling me to kill him. I almost didn't want to-he is kinda cute-but after your father told me about how powerful I could become, I knew what I had to do."

Marceline's jaw dropped open and she stared at the Wizard, unable to form the questions she wanted to ask.

"Shut your mouth, babe. You look stupid," Ash said, pulling a strand of the queen's hair.

"I'm sorry, Ash," she replied, the words coming automatically.

"Caramella!" Ash yelled. "Come get this brat!"

Princess Bubblegum's maid scurried into the throne room and took Liam from Ash's arms. She looked up at Marceline with wide, fearful eyes. She mouthed the words "I'm so sorry", before leaving the room, holding Liam close to her chest.

"No! Please…" Marceline cried, holding her hand out as if she could grab the baby.

"Shut up," Ash said quietly, slapping Marceline's face. "I'm going to unchain you, and we're taking a little trip down the hall. I can shock you any time I like, so don't try anything."

"Make her bring Liam back!"

Sighing, Ash hit a button on the small plastic remote he had produced from his pocket, and a powerful electric current shook her body.

"I'm sorry, Mar-Mar," Ash said. "If you weren't so fucking stupid I wouldn't have to hurt you. Now when I unchain you, you're going to walk with me down the hall. Understand?"

Marceline nodded. Ash unchained her, and she did as he instructed. He pulled her down the hallway and opened the first door he came to. It happened to be Princess Bubblegum's bedroom. As Ash led her to the bed and she realized his intentions, she began to cry silently. She thought of Finn, and wondered where he was, or if he was even alive. The queen was dimly aware of Ash removing her shirt and pants, then the Wizard's fist connected with her cheek and she cried out in surprise and pain.

"You've been with him, haven't you? You've been with Finn!" He asked, drawing back his fist again. "I can smell it all over you!"

"He's my husband!" Marceline cried.

Ash punched her again, this time her stomach.

"Don't talk back to me, Mar-Mar. Glob, you were away from me for a few months and you've forgotten everything I taught you. Lie down on the bed."

Marceline did as she was told, and Ash walked around the plush, pink bed, studying her body. He ran his hands along her ribcage, his touch gentle and light.

"You've gotten fat, again, Mar-Mar," he said. "We'll take care of that soon enough."

Marceline whimpered under Ash's hand, and he moved lower, stroking her thighs, letting a finger stray to the ticklish place on the back of her knee, down her smooth, muscular calves. His hand trailed back up to her stomach, and he rubbed the rough pad of this thumb against the scar from her surgery the day that Liam was born.

"What were they doing to you?" Ash asked, his fingers hot against her skin. "That day in the forest when I saw you?"

"I didn't stop bleeding after Liam was born, and they had to do a hysterectomy," Marceline replied. "I can't have another child, Ash. That's part of why Liam means so much to me."

"His name is Hunson," Ash said, pinching the skin he had been rubbing so gently before. "Besides, you don't need a kid. When the ritual is complete, you can have anything you've ever wanted. Who the fuck would want a kid around to screw that up?"

"I don't want anything that globdamned ritual could give me!" Marceline snarled, grabbing at Ash's neck.

Ash pushed the button and Marceline's collar sent electricity through her already-weak body.

"How long will it take you to learn, Mar-Mar? You used to be such a fast learner. Is Finny-boy just a bad teacher?" Ash raised his eyebrows, a smirk playing across his lips, as he tried to get her angry so that he could shock her again. "I see that he broke your nose, blacked your eyes. Did wittle Finn rough you up a bit? Did wittle Finn hit you, Marcy? Did he catch you fucking the bubblegum bitch? Your little Bub-Bubs? Did he-"

"Fuck you!" Marceline screamed, attacking the Wizard.

She managed to scratch his face with her fingernail, leaving a long streak of blood, before he activated the shock collar. This time, he held the button down, watching her thrash on the bed, smiling. Seeing Marceline like this-sweating, crying, begging him to stop-turned him on, and he released the button and climbed on top of the queen. She let out a guttural cry and tried to push him away, but he easily overpowered her, and she soon submitted to his will. Marceline lay under him, trying to focus on the repetitive sound of the headboard hitting the wall until he finished, praying for the first time since her childhood that someone, anyone, would save her.

Four floors beneath Princess Bubblegum's bedroom, in the Candy Castle's dungeon, Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Lady, and Simon sat on the floor of a small cell. They were all wearing collars similar to Marceline's, although their hands and feet remained unbound. Lady was holding Jake's hand, while Simon consoled Princess Bubblegum, who had been crying on and off ever since Ash had forced her to call Marceline and Finn the night before. Finn was sitting against the cell wall, with his knees drawn to his chest and his head tilted back. He had a pounding headache from being knocked out by one of Ash's Wizard guards, but he was so lost in his fear for Marceline's safety that the pain was just a mild annoyance.

"Hey Peebles?" Finn said questioningly, his voice hoarse and weak.

"Yes?" The Princess replied, looking up sat the hero.

"What happens when I die? Not just me, but Vampires in general. Like, do we have souls?"

"Not exactly," explained Princess Bubblegum, wiping her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," Finn replied. "So, if we don't have souls, what do we have?"

"Life energy, most Vampires call it," Princess Bubblegum replied. "It's what replaces the soul at the moment of transformation. When one Vampire transforms another, the life energy is transferred, and that's why they die. When a Vampire dies some other way, like in war, their life energy leaves their body and floats through the astral plane until a High Priest calls it back to our plane and puts it in the body of a living being. As long as the High Priests' ritual survives, there will always be the same number of Vampires alive: 4,294. No one really knows how they evolved or where they came from though."

Finn was silent, trying to process what the princess had just told him. Suddenly, he burst into tears.

"I want Marcy," he sobbed. "I want my Marcy, and my Liam, and I want this all to go away. I don't want to die and lose her forever! Make it go away, Peebles. You're smart. Please, just make it go away."

Princess Bubblegum crawled over to the hero and embraced him tightly. He clung to her, whispering Marceline's name over and over. The princess realized that he was shaking, and she tried her best to rock him back and forth. She had calmed him down for the most part when they heard heavy footsteps coming towards them.

Two of the Flame Guards hired by Ash approached the cell, smiling evilly.

"The prisoners are being too loud," one of them said.

"I agree," the second replied. "And I think it's pinky over there that started it."

"Well, she has to be punished then," the first guard said, elongating his fiery fingertip to stroke the princess' cheek.

Princess Bubblegum cried out in pain, and Finn tried to jump in front of her to protect her. The guard sent his arm through the bars and pushed the hero away, then pulled the princess up to the bars. He was touching her with the tips of her fingers, laughing as she tried to jump away, when Finn heard footsteps and a very familiar voice.

"Don't hurt her too much," Ash said, smirking. "Keep her alive at least. She's one of the final sacrifices."

"We know," the first Flame Guard said. "We're just having a little fun."

"Have it somewhere else. I need to speak to the Vampire King."

"Yes sir."

Ash sauntered over the cell and rattled the bars with his sword. Finn looked up from his place leaning against the wall and regarded the Wizard with a dull hatred that alarmed Simon in its intensity; the elder man vaguely wondered just how much more Finn could take. Ash was smiling, but his face quickly fell when he saw that Finn wasn't going to scream or try to attack him.

"Hello Finn," the Wizard said. "Aren't you going to ask me where your girlfriend is?"

"She's my wife," Finn replied, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Where is she?"

"She's in Bonnibel's bedroom. Bet she never thought she'd get fucked in that bed…Not by someone with the right equipment anyway."

Ash grabbed his crotch and smiled, flicking his tongue out in the direction of Princess Bubblegum. He turned his attention back to Finn, and saw that there were tears running down his face.

"Oh, sorry Finn, did I hurt your feeling?" Ash asked, crossing his arms. "Are you afraid Marceline won't want you now? Now that she remembers what a real man feels like, she won't want a kid like you anymore."

"Shut up," Finn growled, clenching his teeth.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about how I pounded her until she begged for more? Or how she screamed my name?"

Finn was silent for a few seconds, taking in shallow breaths, before he tried to transform himself and break through the cell's steel bars. His collar activated, however, and he fell to the concrete floor, desperately clawing at his neck. Ash laughed, and motioned for the Flame Guards to watch. They gathered around the cell, watching until Finn realized it was pointless to keep struggling and curled up on the floor, his knees tucked up to his chest. Happy that he had gotten the reaction he wanted, Ash turned to leave the dungeon.

"See you at sundown!" He called.

"Finn?" Jake said, kneeling next to his brother. "Finn, are you okay?"

"It's over," Finn replied. "I've lost Marcy. I don't…I don't want to live without her, Jake. I don't even know that I can. I hope he kills me."

"Don't say that, bro," Jake ordered. "Marceline will be okay. We're gonna find her, and she's gonna be okay. Right PB?"

"Of course," Princess Bubblegum said.

"You don't believe that," Finn whispered. "Ash won, and you know it."

Finn crawled to the corner of the cell and seemed to fold in on himself. Simon, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, and Lady shared a look of worry and frustration before Simon walked over to Finn and knelt in front of him, placing a hand on each shoulder.

Simon said Finn's name once, then again more sharply when he didn't receive a response. Finally, the hero looked up, rage flashing in his eyes for a brief moment before his look of defeat and sadness returned.

"Leave me alone," he ordered.

"Look Finn," Simon said, clutching the boy's shoulders tightly. "You can't shut down like this. Not right now. Ash is going to kill your wife and your son if you don't snap the fuck out if this and help us think of a way to get out of this globdamned cell. Got that?"

Finn nodded, bewildered by this new side of Simon that he had never seen before. A pain shot through the hero's head, and he leaned back against the wall, only to jump forward when he felt icy water trickle through his thick hair.

"What's wrong?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"Nothing, just a water leak," Finn mumbled, scooting away from the steady stream of liquid dripping from a pipe at the top of the cell.

Suddenly, the hero's eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face.

"Water," he mumbled under his breath. "We can put the guards out!"

"What are you talking about, bro?" Jake asked.

"Remember that time we saved Flame Princess' Dad from being assassinated?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, the conspirators were planning on pouring water on him to kill him, right?" Without waiting for an answer, Finn continued. "We can pour water on the guards and then all we have to do is get their keys!"

"That's brilliant, Finn!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed.

She looked around the room searching for something to hold water in. Jake had already taken care of that, however, by stretching his arms into a large bowl shape.

"I'm going to lie down on the floor and pretend to be sick," Princess Bubblegum said. "Simon, call the guards over. When they come, Jake can throw the water on them. Got it?"

The ground nodded, and the Princess lay down on the floor, holding her head. She cried out in pain quite convincingly, and Simon shouted for the guards. They ran to the cell, guns drawn.

"What's wrong?"

"It's the princess," Finn said, kneeling next to her. "Something's wrong with her! She needs a doctor!"

The two guards exchanged a glance.

"Should we get somebody?" The first guard asked the second.

"Just get in here and help her!" Finn yelled. "I don't think she's breathing!"

Hurriedly, the guard unlocked the cell and rushed inside. Once they were both kneeling by the princess, Jake poured the water from the makeshift bowl over them. They cried out in pain before being reduced to identical piles of smoldering ashes and clothing, along with a set of keys that could open any door in the Candy Kingdom. Princess Bubblegum sat up, snatched the keys, and held them to her chest as if they were a teddy bear.

"Ash said something about Marceline being in my room. We'll go there first," Princess Bubblegum said, standing up and smoothing her clothes. "But first we need to take these collars off."

As soon as they were free from their collars, the group made their way out of the dungeon and towards the dungeon's secret staircase. They discovered that Ash's guards hadn't found it yet, and they had no problem getting to the fourth floor. Their luck held when they found that the Wizard hadn't placed any guards outside of the bedroom door. Finn ran ahead of the group, found that the door was locked, and ripped it off its hinges.

When the hero ran into the room, he heard Marceline's soft whimpers of pain before he saw her. When his eyes rested on her, he felt as if his heart had been ripped apart. She was lying on the bed, wearing nothing but the shock collar around her neck. Ash had chained her to all four bedposts, and she was desperately trying to transform herself so that she could slip out of them. Every time she tried, however, a powerful current ran through her body and she cried out in pain.

Finn was instantly reminded of how Marceline had looked when he had rescued her from the house she shared with Ash. Her whole body was covered in bruises; they ran down her ribcage, dotted her pale breasts, and marred either of her hips in the shape of a gripping hand. Her thighs were already turned a sickly shade of black, and they were stained red from blood.

Finn looked uncertainly at his friends behind him. Jake and Lady were staring at the queen, unable to look away. Princess Bubblegum's eyes were wide, and she had put her hand over her mouth. Simon had retreated to the hallway where he stood, his hands on his knees, his face pale.

"Go get her," Princess Bubblegum whispered, pushing Finn forward when she realized that the hero was unable to move.

Finn took a step, faltered, and went to Marceline. She looked up at him and her eyes widened in fear. He used his supernatural strength to unchain her from the bed, and tried to reach behind her to unhook the collar from around her neck. Once she saw him moving towards her, however, Marceline drew her knees up to her chest and used her arms to protect her face. She whimpered, and Finn stepped back.

"Marcy," he whispered, starting to take her hand before thinking better of it. "Listen, Marcy. It's Finn, and I'm here to save you. Can I take your collar off?"

Marceline moved her arms away so that she could see and gently cupped Finn's face in her hands, staring into his eyes. A sudden understanding seemed to flood her eyes, and she threw her arms around the hero, clinging to him and sobbing. Finn held her against him for a few moments before he unlocked the collar and pulled it away from her neck, tossing it in the corner of the room.

"Find some clothes for her, Peebles," Finn ordered.

He gently stroked Marceline's hair and allowed her to cling to him as she cried.

"I'm so sorry, Finn," she whispered. "I couldn't stop him…I didn't even try…I was just so scared. Please don't hate me."

"Oh, Marcy, no," Finn cried, hugging the queen to his chest. "You did nothing wrong. He forced you, and I'll never, ever blame you for that. Please don't think that I would."

Marceline nodded and squeezed Finn so tightly that it almost hurt him. Princess Bubblegum gently put her hand on the queen's shoulder and handed her a pair of pants and a shirt. Finn helped her get dressed, careful to not touch anywhere that she was bruised.

"We have to find Liam," Marceline whispered. "It's almost sundown and…we have to find him before then. We have to."

"I know, Marcy," Finn said. "Where would he be, Peebles?"

"In the ballroom," whispered a small voice from behind them. "I heard him say that's where they're going to do the ritual."

"Caramella?" Princess Bubblegum asked. "Is that you?"

"Just save the prince," the maid replied from the shadows. "Save your son, Queen Marceline."

Marceline nodded and cringed when she tried to take a step. Finn steadied her, considered, then picked her up. He ran towards the ballroom, followed by his friends, weapons drawn. When he burst through the door, hundreds of Wizards and Flame people turned to stare. Finn expected to be attacked, but they were all smiling at the newly arrived group. Finn looked around and saw that Ash and Hunson were standing together on the raised platform in the front of the ballroom, behind a small table covered in black velvet. Liam lay on the table, swaddled tightly in a blanket, asleep. Next to him was a small, silver ceremonial dagger.

"Hello, Father," Ash called to Finn. "I see you've made it."

Finn opened his mouth to ask what the Wizard was talking about, but before he could speak, a green mist clouded his vision and he felt a splitting pain in his head. His eyes turned green, and he realized that he no longer had any control of his body. He threw Marceline to the floor where she cried out in pain and fear. Two Flame guards grabbed her arms and lifted her to her feet roughly.

"Sunset is drawing near, Ash," the Lich said, using Finn's vocal cords. "Make the final sacrifices."

"Yes, my lord," Ash replied. "Guards, bring the sacrifices to the platform."

Before they could react, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, Lady, and Simon were seized by Wizard guards who quickly and efficiently stripped them of their weapons. They were led to the platform and lined up, then roughly pushed to their knees, their backs to the onlookers. The two Flame men who had grabbed Marceline picked her up and brought her to Ash, who placed another collar around her neck.

"Just wait right here and watch, Mar-Mar," Ash ordered. "Your father will take care of you."

Hunson stepped forward and restrained the queen, even though she wasn't struggling. Ash unholstered his pistol and moved to the line of Marceline's friends. Princess Bubblegum was first, kneeling with her back straight and her head held high. She realized that she was at her moment of death, and one of her favorite quotes, found in one of Marceline's books from the days before the Great Mushroom War, played over and over in her mind: _Do not go gentle into that good night._ She tried to think of a way to escape, but as Ash buried the cold steel of his pistol into the part on her hair, she decided instead that she would go with a quiet dignity.

Finn watched helplessly as Ash placed the gun to the princess' head. He tried to step forward, but the Lich held him firmly in his place. The hero watched in horror as Ash squeezed the trigger, but, to his surprise, it didn't fire. Instead, a white-hot pain shot through the hero's head, and the piecing hoot of the Cosmic Owl flooded his brain. As Ash tried unsuccessfully to fire the pistol again and again, the two forces began a battle in Finn's brain for control of the hero. He dropped to his knees, his vision gone, tears running down his face.

"Use the dagger, you fool!" Hunson yelled.

Ash looked up, mild surprise on his face, and nodded. He went to the velvet-covered table and grabbed the dagger before returning to Princess Bubblegum, twisting his hand in her gummy hair and roughly pulling her head back before placing the knife against her neck. Something in Finn's head seemed to break, and a white light filled his vision. He cried out and had time to think that his he was dying before he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

When the white light receded, Finn found himself face to face with the Cosmic Owl. He was naked and floating in a dark space, illuminated only by the stars around them, and the owl himself. He stared into the owl's large, loving eyes, and started to speak, but his voice was so small and insignificant that it was lost in the cosmos.

"The evil you have fought so bravely has now been caged. I have encased myself, along with Ash, Hunson, and the Lich in a stone prison. It is taking all my power to hold them, but the world is safe, for now at least. I cannot hold them forever," the owl explained. "When my power fades, and the stone begins to break down, I'll call forth the greatest hero that Ooo has ever seen, and he shall take my place. Liam is that hero."

"You mean Liam will…Will turn to stone?" Finn asked.

The owl nodded.

"Can't-Can't I do it?" He stuttered. "Marcy can't lose Liam…She just can't!"

"What is to be done will be done, young hero. Your offer is valiant, but I cannot accept it. Now, go be with Marceline and the child. Your time with him may seem short; enjoy it while you can."

When Finn opened his eyes, he looked around the room and saw Marceline, dozing lightly in an armchair by his bed, holding Liam in her arms.

"Marceline?" He squeaked. "Marcy?"

"Huh?" The queen asked, looking around. "Oh, Finn, you're awake. Are you feeling okay?"

"I had a dream, and the comic owl was there, and-"

"Everyone in Ooo had the same dream, except it was more like a vision for most of us. He explained about Liam…" Marceline choked up and cuddled Liam closer to her. "I know he won't be with us forever."

Finn scooted over on the bed and patted the spot next to him. Marceline crawled into the bed next to him, and Finn placed his mechanical arm around her shoulders, cradling Liam with the other. He buried his face in the nape of Marceline's neck and planted kisses along her jawbone, working towards her lips. When she barely responded to his kisses, the hero looked up at her questioningly.

"Sorry, babe," she said. "It's just, I've been up almost twenty-four hours now. Between worrying about you and taking care of Liam, I'm exhausted. Would you hate me if I took a nap?"

"Not at all," Finn replied. "Especially if you stay right here with me."

"I wouldn't think of going anywhere else," the Vampire replied.

Marceline kissed Finn and settled into his arms, holding Liam against her chest. She was drifting off to sleep when Finn put his lips against her ear.

"We're a family now, aren't we?" He asked.

Marceline nodded.

"And we have to enjoy it while it lasts," she whispered.

Planting a kiss on the top of her head, Finn smiled.

"I don't think that'll be a problem, Marcy." He paused. "I love you. Both of you."

"We love you, too, hero."

Marceline drifted off into a sound sleep, feeling content wrapped in the knowledge that her husband was by her side, her child was safe, and that, for the moment at least, everything in her world was impossibly, beautifully right.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading. I'll be posting the epilogue within a few days! Please review! **


	7. Epilogue

During Liam Abadeer's childhood, a lot changed in Ooo and the communities around it. Marceline took her father's place as the ruler of the Nightosphere, and quickly did away with pain and weird punishments in favor of creating a fairly governed and successful kingdom. The old family castle was demolished and a new one rebuilt in time to celebrate Liam's first birthday in the spacious ballroom, surrounded by family and friends.

Marceline and Finn built a life together, and it was just as they had imagined in the months before Liam's birth when they had been finding themselves and each other. They built a swing set outside for Liam, and their days were filled with music and adventure. They argued sometimes, but made up at night tangled in each other's arms in the moonlight. They were parents, and lovers, and best friends, and everything was right.

The group who had accompanied Marceline and Finn on the most difficult journey of their lives stayed by them and became Liam's extended family. Marceline made Simon the president of the Nightosphere's first university, and he started a very important program within the school that discovered and catalogued items from the pre-Mushroom War era. Liam knew him as Grandpa, a title that nearly brought Simon to tears the first few times he heard it.

Princess Bubblegum, or Bubs, as Liam affectionately referred to her as, went back to her duties as the ruler of the Candy Kingdom. She named Jake Junior as the heir to her throne and, with that weight off her shoulders, had more time to spend experimenting and bettering the lives of her people. She often visited the Nightosphere, where she instilled in Liam a love of science that began on his fifth birthday when she gave him an advanced chemistry set. It wasn't long before the young hero became Princess Bubblegum's best lab assistant. When Princess Bubblegum married her girlfriend of five years, Huntress Wizard, when Liam was seven, the young hero escorted her to the altar.

Jake and Lady Rainicorn shared eight more years together after Liam's birth, and Lady gave birth to two more litters of pups. It was during a routine check-up after the second litter was born that Doctor Princess found a small mass on Lady's uterus, thought at first to be benign. Biopsy results, however, revealed that it was cancer, and she dead within the year. Jake fell into a deep depression, but with the help of his kids, along with his friends, he made it through. Three days after Liam's eighth birthday, the Dog moved into an apartment near the castle in the Nightosphere. He found solace volunteering in a music program created by Marceline, teaching the youth of the Nightosphere how to play the viola.

Cassius and Portia made an effort to be proper grandparents to Liam. For the first year of his life, they regularly sent him gift and letter, and even visited him a few times. After the third visit went the way of the previous two-dry and formal with a hint of awkwardness- they didn't schedule another. Slowly, the cards, letters, and gifts slowed, then stopped. Marceline had initially been hurt by Cassius breaking the promise he had made to her, but when she received a letter from the elderly Wizard, she forgave him.

"Dearest Marceline," the letter began. "I know you may think us awful for not wanting to see our grandson, but please hear our reason. When Portia and I see Liam, he is well cared for, surrounded by family and friends, and above all, happy. Our presence, however, can bring back nothing but memories of a time I'm sure we'd all like to forget. So, for now, Portia and I will cease contact with you and Liam. Please know that if you ever need anything, you shouldn't hesitate to call. Furthermore, if Liam is interested in knowing about his biological grandparents when he gets older, we would be happy to get involved again. We feel that, at the time being, this is best course of action for everyone."

Liam grew up quickly, at least from Marceline and Finn's perspective. He was always precocious, learning to walk and talk faster than his peers. When he was nearly three, Marceline had heard him laughing from his toy room and went to investigate. The queen had found him sitting on the rug, two stuffed animals locked in playful battle hovering above him in the air. It was then that she had realized that Liam had inherited magical powers from Ash, much to her displeasure. She had admitted to Finn, late that night, that she was afraid Liam would use his powers like his biological father had.

Marceline's fears proved groundless over the years, however, as Liam's personality was more similar to Finn's than Ash's. He had an unstoppable drive to save people, and his adventurous spirit often landed him in some dangerous situations, prompting Finn to rescue him on nearly a monthly basis. Marceline often joked that they would give her gray hairs if not for the fact that she was ageless.

Around his twelfth birthday, however, Liam calmed down somewhat and discovered that he could help people in ways that put himself in less danger. He started volunteering at the local orphanage, reading to the children or helping them with homework, a few days out of the week. He also found that he could be of help at the shelter for abused women and children that Marceline had funded during her first year as queen, doing routine maintenance on the building or chatting with the women as if he was a miniature adult.

Shortly before he turned thirteen, Liam's habits changed. Rather than wandering around the Nightosphere for hours at a time after having breakfast with his parents, Liam started to visit Ooo every day. He often walked through the Candy Kingdom, wearing his signature baseball cap displaying the logo of The Thorns, his mother's favorite band. Yet, no matter where he intended to go, he always ended up sitting at the base of a large statue in the castle gardens.

The statue had been there as long as Liam could remember, and it featured three men encased in the arms of a large owl. Liam often looked up at the men, nervously playing with his long, white pony-tail, for hours on end. Sometimes he would lose track of time and Princess Bubblegum would come out to the gardens to remind him that he had missed curfew yet again. When he arrived home, Marceline would be waiting for him, her eyes tired and somewhat red. Liam knew he was upsetting her, and tried to apologize, but she would simply hug him and say that it wasn't his fault.

Liam tried to ask about the statue, everyone from his mother and father, to Princess Bubblegum, to his friends from both the Nightosphere and Ooo, but no one would tell him its significance. Even the great library in the Candy Kingdom didn't have any information on it beyond the fact that the men it featured were known as Ash, Hunson, and the Lich. Liam couldn't understand why he was drawn to the statue, but he accepted it. His only wish was that it didn't hurt his mother so much.

The day after Liam's thirteenth birthday party, Marceline stood at the sink washing dishes when her son quickly pecked her on the cheek and told her that he was going to hang out with some friends in the Nightosphere Park. She didn't believe him, but allowed him to go anyway. As she watched her son walk away, his baseball cap firmly on his head, tears began to roll down her face. When he disappeared into the forests, her tears turned into sobs, and Marceline washed the same plate over and over.

"I can't give him up yet," she thought. "It's too soon…I just can't."

Marceline screamed in frustration and sadness, sending the plate in her hand hurling towards the wall. It shattered against the wall, bringing Finn running into the kitchen. He watched in horror for a brief moment as Marceline sent dish after dish towards the wall, leaving a pile of glass on the floor.

"Marcy, stop!" Finn cried.

He ran over to his wife, gently took a glass from her hand, put it on the counter, and held both of her arms firmly at her side.

"What's wrong, Marcy?" He whispered, holding her tightly to him.

"It's happening. Liam is spending all his time around that globdamned statue, and it's going to take him! He's too young, Finn!"

Marceline slumped to the ground and Finn followed. He clung to the queen, holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth. He hadn't seen her so hurt and upset since Ash had kidnapped Liam, and it broke his heart. All he wanted to do was make everything better, but he couldn't think of a way to help. Liam had a destiny to fulfill, and no one could change that.

"We knew to expect this, Marcy," he whispered, stroking her hair.

"Not this soon!" Marceline sobbed, clinging to Finn's shirt. "We've barely had any time with him! Thirteen years isn't enough!"

"I know, Marcy. I know."

Finn scooped the sobbing queen up in his arms and carried her to bed, where he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. He went back to the kitchen and cleaned up the broken glass so that Liam wouldn't get hurt when he came home, and turned off the lights throughout the house. Finn found Marceline, cocooned in the sheets on her bed, tears running down her face. He climbed into bed next to her, buried his face in her hair, and allowed himself to cry for the son her knew he would soon lose.

That night, Liam didn't come home. As the first rays of light shown through Ooo, Princess Bubblegum took her coffee into the gardens to sit near the statue as had been her habit since it was moved outside from the ballroom over twelve years ago. This morning, however, the statue was very different. The princess dropped her coffee to the ground, where the cup shattered and a scalding liquid splashed on her feet. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number to the Nightosphere's castle, her hands trembling.

"Finn?" She asked into the phone. "Come quick. It happened."

Marceline and Finn were in the Candy Castle's gardens within minutes, but the area around the statue was already crowded with curious citizens hoping to get a glance at the change. Marceline pushed through them, dragging Finn behind her by his hand. Her hair was a mess, her makeup smudged, and her clothes wrinkled, yet her appearance was the last thing on her mind.

The Banana Guards stationed around the statue stepped aside when they saw Marceline, allowing her to walk right up to the stone monument. When she saw the change it had undergone, the queen gasped. The three men still stood as always, an obvious pain etched on their stone faces, but the wings that surrounded them came not from an owl, but from Liam's back.

Marceline looked up at her son's face and raised her hand to gently stroke his stone cheek. She recoiled as if shocked when her hand touched his face, and the queen sunk to the ground. Liam's signature baseball cap lay in front of her, and Marceline grabbed it and held it to her face as she cried. The wind picked up and a small slip of paper floated from the base of the statue and directly into Finn's hands. He opened it, looked inside, and stared for a long while before sinking to his knees next to Marceline and handing the paper to her.

"Look at this, Marcy," he whispered.

With trembling, clumsy fingers, Marceline took the paper and looked at it. In small, neat letters the queen instantly recognized as her son's handwriting, was written "Your sunshine will always be there. I love you, Mom and Dad".

Marceline read the message over and over before taking Finn's hand and standing up. She put her hands on Liam's shoulders, kissed his cheek, and turned back to her husband.

"Let's go home, Finn," Marceline whispered.

Confused, the hero nodded and wrapped his arm around Marceline's waist. Wordlessly, the crowd separated, leaving a path for the couple to walk through. Marceline placed Liam's baseball cap on her head and started towards the portal back to the Nightosphere. They were almost there when a gentle rain began to fall.

"Come on, Marcy, let's get out of this," Finn said.

"Race you," the queen whispered, smiling at her husband.

"You're on," Finn replied.

They ran towards the portal, laughing.

"It's going to be okay," Finn thought, in awe from the realization. "We're going to be okay."

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**A/N: I never realized how emotional I would be writing the end of this story! Thanks to everyone who's read or reviewed! I appreciate you immensely! I'll be posting more stories on here soon, and the next one I am considering has an unconventional pairing, but I think you'll like it! Also, I am happy to take requests for stories or pairings! Thanks again, and I hope to be seeing you all again soon!**


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